The attorney for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident wrongfully deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador, has expressed concerns about his potential re-detention by immigration officials. Abrego Garcia, who was released from criminal custody in Tennessee on Friday as he awaits a federal trial, has been instructed to report to an ICE detention center in Baltimore on Monday, according to his attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg.
During an interview on NPR’s All Things Considered, Sandoval-Moshenberg articulated his concerns, stating, “I don't see any need for ICE to detain him. They've got him right now.” Abrego Garcia is currently being monitored electronically by the U.S. Marshals Service through a GPS ankle bracelet. Despite this, Sandoval-Moshenberg anticipates that ICE will proceed with detaining him, remarking, “That's pretty much what they do. They have said they're going to try to deport him.”
Following Abrego Garcia’s release on Friday, immigration officials informed his legal team of plans to deport him to Uganda. This decision comes after Abrego Garcia rejected a plea deal that would have allowed him to be deported to Costa Rica in exchange for a guilty plea to smuggling charges. His attorneys have noted that this tactic appears to be aimed at coercing him into a guilty plea, with Uganda being used as a form of punishment.
Sandoval-Moshenberg has raised alarms about the lack of assurances regarding Abrego Garcia's treatment and living conditions in Uganda. There is a significant concern that Uganda may deport him back to El Salvador shortly after his arrival. “If Uganda is going to deport him right back to El Salvador, whether it’s the next day, the next month, or even in a few months, that’s just as illegal as it would be for them to send him straight to El Salvador for a second time,” he stated, highlighting the legal implications of such actions.
Born in El Salvador, Abrego Garcia had been residing in Maryland prior to his deportation. Over the weekend, he was reunited with his family, including his 5-year-old child, who eagerly awaited his return early Saturday morning. Sandoval-Moshenberg remarked on Abrego Garcia’s joy at being back with his loved ones, stating, “He’s really happy to be back with his family, with his friends, but it could prove to be a short-lived reprieve.”
As the situation unfolds, the legal team is preparing for the potential ramifications of ICE's actions. They are advocating for Abrego Garcia’s rights and are closely monitoring his case to ensure that he is treated fairly and justly under U.S. immigration law.
ICE has yet to respond to NPR’s request for comment regarding this developing situation.
