The Trump administration is once again pushing to deport Kilmer Abrego Garcia, a migrant from El Salvador whose case has been riddled with legal chaos. According to new court documents, officials even defied a federal judge’s order this week.
Garcia, who now faces human trafficking charges, was released from a Tennessee prison on Friday and turned himself in to an ICE facility on Monday. But things escalated quickly when U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes ordered that Garcia must have access to his legal team. His attorneys say that never happened.
“Defense counsel called (an ICE) phone number to request a legal call, and the operator was unable to schedule a call, directing counsel to send an email,” his legal team wrote in filings submitted Monday. “Counsel then emailed the ICE email address and requested a legal call; we have yet to receive any response.
This process does not comply with Magistrate Judge Holmes’s release order, which required the government to facilitate access to Mr. Abrego if he were taken into ICE custody.”
Garcia’s story has already become a symbol in the heated fight over immigration enforcement. His original deportation to El Salvador was carried out without charges because of what officials called an “administrative error.” That move sparked outrage and set off a court battle that forced the Trump administration to bring him back to the U.S.
But after he returned, the Justice Department hit him with new charges and began painting him as a criminal, with Trump officials openly questioning his character. Critics say it’s all part of a strategy to justify deporting him again while sidestepping concerns about due process.
The DOJ even tried to strike a deal with Garcia, according to reports. The offer was simple but unusual: agree to be deported to Costa Rica, and he wouldn’t face prison time. Garcia turned it down, and in response, officials are now pushing to deport him to Uganda—a move that has baffled legal experts since Garcia has no ties there.
For his lawyers, the case highlights a disturbing pattern. They argue that the administration is not only ignoring a federal judge’s authority but also undermining Garcia’s right to legal representation. Immigration advocates say it shows just how far the Trump administration is willing to go to secure deportations, even when the courts push back.
As the battle drags on, Garcia’s situation has become a test of how much power the executive branch can exert over immigration policy and whether the courts can actually hold it in check. For now, Garcia remains caught in the middle, fighting both deportation and the Justice Department’s latest charges while waiting for a fair chance to speak with his lawyers.
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