Kilmar Abrego Garcia entered the news in March 2025 after he was deported to El Salvador despite a court ruling that should have prevented it. His complicated legal fight since then has galvanized both sides of the debate over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
Watch the latest remarks by Abrego Garcia’s attorney in the video player above.
There is a civil case in Maryland, where he is challenging Homeland Security’s attempts to deport him again. There is also a criminal case in Tennessee, where the government accuses him of human smuggling. Finally there is a petition in immigration court, where he hopes to pursue an asylum claim.
READ MORE: After mistaken deportation, Kilmar Abrego Garcia now fights smuggling charges
Here is a timeline of key events:
Arrival: around 2011
Abrego Garcia flees El Salvador for the U.S. as a teenager.
Arrest: March 28, 2019
Abrego Garcia is arrested outside a Maryland hardware store. Police accuse him of being a gang member and turn him over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Immigration court: Oct. 10, 2019
A Maryland immigration judge rules that Abrego Garcia cannot be deported to El Salvador, where a gang has threatened his family. He is given a work permit and placed under federal supervision.
Deportation: March 15, 2025
Abrego Garcia is mistakenly deported to El Salvador and held in a notoriously brutal prison.
Supreme Court: April 10, 2025
The U.S. Supreme Court says the Trump administration must work to bring Abrego Garcia back.
Criminal charges: June 6, 2025
Abrego Garcia is unexpectedly returned to the U.S. and charged with human smuggling, based on a Tennessee traffic stop from 2022.
Attempts at second deportation: July 23, 2025-present
ICE announces plans to remove him to a series of African countries but is blocked by an injunction from a Maryland federal judge.
Seeking asylum: Aug. 25, 2025
Abrego Garcia petitions to reopen his immigration case in order to pursue asylum in the United States.
