NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A newly unsealed order in the criminal case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia reveals that high-level Justice Department officials pushed for his indictment, calling it a top priority, only after he was mistakenly deported and then ordered returned to the U.S.
Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty in federal court in Tennessee to charges of human smuggling. He is seeking to have the case dismissed on the grounds of vindictive prosecution, alleging that the Trump administration is punishing him for the embarrassment caused by his wrongful deportation.
To support this claim, he has requested that the government provide documents that detail the decision to prosecute him in 2025 for an incident that occurred nearly three years earlier. On December 3, U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw filed a sealed order compelling the government to release relevant documents to Abrego Garcia and his attorneys. This order was unsealed on Tuesday, providing new insights into the case.
Previously, Judge Crenshaw found evidence suggesting the prosecution could be vindictive. He pointed to a statement by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche made on a Fox News program, implying that the Department of Justice charged Abrego Garcia due to his successful wrongful deportation case.
Rob McGuire, who served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee until late December, contended that such statements were irrelevant, asserting that he made the decision to prosecute independently and had no ill will toward Abrego Garcia.
Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty in federal court in Tennessee to charges of human smuggling. He is seeking to have the case dismissed on the grounds of vindictive prosecution, alleging that the Trump administration is punishing him for the embarrassment caused by his wrongful deportation.
To support this claim, he has requested that the government provide documents that detail the decision to prosecute him in 2025 for an incident that occurred nearly three years earlier. On December 3, U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw filed a sealed order compelling the government to release relevant documents to Abrego Garcia and his attorneys. This order was unsealed on Tuesday, providing new insights into the case.
Previously, Judge Crenshaw found evidence suggesting the prosecution could be vindictive. He pointed to a statement by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche made on a Fox News program, implying that the Department of Justice charged Abrego Garcia due to his successful wrongful deportation case.
Rob McGuire, who served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee until late December, contended that such statements were irrelevant, asserting that he made the decision to prosecute independently and had no ill will toward Abrego Garcia.
