GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — U.S. government attorneys say they have cleared all the hurdles needed to send Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia and are asking a federal judge to dissolve an order blocking his deportation. Abrego Garcia’s mistaken deportation to his home country of El Salvador earlier this year has helped galvanize opposition to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. His attorneys claim the administration is now manipulating the immigration system to punish him for successfully challenging that deportation.
A motion from the government filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland states that officials received assurances from Liberia that Abrego Garcia would not face persecution or torture there. An immigration officer heard Garcia’s fears but ruled against him, a decision his lawyers are contesting.
Garcia's legal team maintains that he has designated Costa Rica as a preferred destination for deportation, and the ongoing pursuit of alternative deportation routes signals retaliatory behavior from the government, violating due process rights.
Garcia has lived in Maryland for years with his American wife and child, having immigrated illegally as a teenager. After a 2019 court decision denied his deportation back to El Salvador due to safety concerns, he was mistakenly sent there in March. Following court pressuring the administration, he was returned to the U.S. in June but has since been targeted for deportation elsewhere.
Much of Garcia's defense hinges on claims of denied due process, as government lawyers argue that illegal immigrants do not enjoy the same rights as U.S. citizens. His attorneys cite a 2020 Supreme Court ruling supporting stronger rights for those with established connections in the U.S.
As discussions of Garcia's potential deportation continue, the government claims it has sufficient diplomatic assurances from Liberia while Garcia's representation emphasizes the inherent dangers of relocating him there.
A motion from the government filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland states that officials received assurances from Liberia that Abrego Garcia would not face persecution or torture there. An immigration officer heard Garcia’s fears but ruled against him, a decision his lawyers are contesting.
Garcia's legal team maintains that he has designated Costa Rica as a preferred destination for deportation, and the ongoing pursuit of alternative deportation routes signals retaliatory behavior from the government, violating due process rights.
Garcia has lived in Maryland for years with his American wife and child, having immigrated illegally as a teenager. After a 2019 court decision denied his deportation back to El Salvador due to safety concerns, he was mistakenly sent there in March. Following court pressuring the administration, he was returned to the U.S. in June but has since been targeted for deportation elsewhere.
Much of Garcia's defense hinges on claims of denied due process, as government lawyers argue that illegal immigrants do not enjoy the same rights as U.S. citizens. His attorneys cite a 2020 Supreme Court ruling supporting stronger rights for those with established connections in the U.S.
As discussions of Garcia's potential deportation continue, the government claims it has sufficient diplomatic assurances from Liberia while Garcia's representation emphasizes the inherent dangers of relocating him there.
