Wrongly Deported Man Released, Heads to Maryland Amid Legal Battles

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man wrongfully deported in March, was released from criminal custody on August 22, 2025, and is en route to Maryland to reunite with his family. Abrego Garcia’s attorney confirmed the news to ABC News.

Since being brought back to the U.S. in June, he faced human smuggling charges in Tennessee. Abrego Garcia had been in custody after federal authorities accused him of transporting undocumented migrants while living in Maryland. He has pleaded not guilty to these charges.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ruled last month that immigration authorities must not detain him upon release. The judge stated, “The government shall restore Abrego Garcia to his ICE Order of Supervision out of the Baltimore Field Office,” which will allow him to live and work in Maryland.

Abrego Garcia was initially deported to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison, despite a prior court order which barred his deportation due to fears of persecution from gangs. He was accused of being affiliated with the MS-13 gang, a claim he and his family denied.

His attorneys allege that the government is engaging in “vindictive and selective prosecution” due to Abrego’s challenge against his wrongful deportation. They filed a motion to dismiss the criminal charges based on this assertion, claiming his prosecution is a means to justify the administration’s deportation actions.

Abrego Garcia’s trial for human smuggling is scheduled to begin on January 27, 2027. His case has drawn attention as it highlights issues around deportation and immigration policy, particularly in the context of the previous Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics.

As events unfold, the focus remains on how federal authorities will handle his case once he returns to Maryland, and whether he will be re-detained by ICE. Until then, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is on his way home.