US judges order Abrego Garcia release, block immediate deportation
His case has become a key test of Trump's hardline immigration policies.
Most of those sent to El Salvador were alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which the Trump administration has designated a foreign terrorist organization.
Justice Department lawyers later admitted that Abrego Garcia -- a resident of Maryland who is married to a US citizen -- was wrongly deported due to an "administrative error."
Abrego Garcia had been living in the United States under protected legal status since 2019, when a judge ruled he should not be deported because he could be harmed in his home country.
He was returned to the United States in June and immediately arrested on human smuggling charges in the southern state of Tennessee.
Abrego Garcia's release pending trial has been repeatedly delayed at the request of his lawyers amid fears he would be picked up by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and deported again.
District Judge Waverly Crenshaw in Tennessee ordered Abrego Garcia's release on bail on Wednesday ahead of his January 27 trial date, and a district judge in Maryland simultaneously blocked ICE from immediately taking him into custody.
District Judge Paula Xinis said Abrego Garcia should be brought back to Maryland and ordered the administration to provide at least three days notice before attempting to deport him again.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, criticized the ruling.
"The fact this unhinged judge is trying to tell ICE they can't arrest (Abrego Garcia)... under federal law is LAWLESS AND INSANE," McLaughlin said on X.
It was not immediately clear when Abrego Garcia would be released.
Federal prosecutors have opposed his release and warned that he may be deported once again if he is released from custody.
Abrego Garcia is charged in Nashville, Tennessee, with smuggling undocumented migrants around the United States between 2016 and 2025. He has pleaded not guilty.
© 2025 AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
Von der Leyen and Trump strike EU-US trade deal to avert tariff war
The European Union and the United States have struck a tentative trade deal to avert a potentially devastating tariff war between two of the world's largest economies, capping a race against time before a self-imposed deadline of 1 August. Under the agreed terms, finalised on Sunday by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump during a meeting in Scotland, the majority of EU exports bound for the American market will be slapped with a 15% tariff. "I think it's great we made a deal today instead of playing games," Trump said at the end of the meeting. "I think it's the biggest deal ever made." "We have a trade deal between the two largest economies in the world. And it's a big deal. It's a huge deal," von der Leyen said. "It will bring stability, it will bring predictability. That's very important for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic." This is a developing story.
France 24
9 hours ago
- France 24
Questions swell in Eswatini over five men deported from US
The five, nationals of Vietnam, Laos, Yemen, Cuba and Jamaica, were flown to Eswatini's administrative capital of Mbabane on July 16 on a US military plane and incarcerated after US authorities labelled them "criminal illegal aliens". The US Department of Homeland Security said the men were convicted of violent crimes "so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back". The government of Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, has confirmed their presence. But spokesman Thabile Mdluli said they would not stay permanently, and "will be repatriated in due course to their different countries". That assurance, though, has not quelled a tide of questions and concerns that has risen within the kingdom about the operation. Civic and rights groups are wondering whether further deportees from the United States will arrive, and what rights the five men detained have. Public outrage at the lack of transparency led to 150 women protesting outside the US embassy in Mbabane on Friday. The protest, organised by the Eswatini Women's Movement, demanded the prisoners be returned to the United States and queried the legal basis Eswatini relied on to accept them. The five men are being held in the Matsapha Correctional Centre, 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of Mbabane. The facility, notorious for holding political prisoners and overcrowding, has been undergoing renovations and expansions since 2018, reportedly funded by the United States as part of a program covering all 14 of the country's penal centres. Solitary confinement Sources within the penitentiary administration said the men were being held in solitary confinement in a high-security section of the facility, with their requests to make phone calls being denied. The sources said the men have access to medical care and the same meals as the thousand other inmates, as well as a toilet, shower and television in their cells. Prime Minister Russell Dlamini has dismissed calls by lawmakers and from other quarters for the secrecy surrounding the agreement with Washington to be lifted. "Not every decision or agreement is supposed to be publicly shared," he said. Eswatini is the second African country to receive such deportees from the United States, after South Sudan earlier this month accepted eight individuals. The situation has sparked concerns about the potential implications for Eswatini, a country already grappling with its own challenges under the absolute monarchy of King Mswati III. The 57-year-old ruler has been criticised for his lavish lifestyle and has faced accusations of human rights violations. US President Donald Trump has used the threat of high tariffs against other countries, such as Colombia, to coerce them to take in people deported from America. Eswatini is currently facing a baseline US tariff of 10 percent -- less than the 30 percent levelled at neighbouring South Africa -- which the government has said will negatively impact the economy. Trump has directed federal agencies to work hard on his campaign promise to expel millions of undocumented migrants from the United States. His government has turned to so-called third-country deportations in cases where the home nations of some of those targeted for removal refuse to accept them.
France 24
11 hours ago
- France 24
Thai-Cambodia border clashes persist despite ceasefire hopes
Thailand and Cambodia clashed for a fourth day Sunday, despite both sides saying they were ready to discuss a ceasefire after a late-night intervention by US President Donald Trump. The neighbours, popular destinations for millions of foreign tourists, have been locked in their bloodiest conflict in years over the disputed border, with at least 33 people confirmed killed and more than 200,000 displaced. Both said they were willing to start talks to end the fighting, after Trump spoke to the two prime ministers late on Saturday and said they had agreed to meet and 'quickly work out' a ceasefire. But fresh artillery clashes erupted on Sunday morning near two long-contested ancient temples in the frontier region between northern Cambodia and northeast Thailand that has seen the bulk of the fighting. Cambodian defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said Thai forces began attacking areas around the temples at 4:50 am. The regular thump of artillery rattled windows in the Cambodian town of Samraong, around 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the frontline, AFP journalists said. Thai Army Deputy Spokesman Ritcha Suksuwanon said Cambodian forces began firing artillery around 4:00 am as the two sides battled for control of strategic positions. Ceasefire calls Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on Sunday said his country 'agreed with the proposal for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between the two armed forces'. He said his Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn will talk to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to coordinate with the Thais, but warned Bangkok against reneging on any agreement. After Trump's call, Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said he had agreed in principle to enter a ceasefire and start talks 'as soon as possible'. While both sides have expressed a desire for talks to end the crisis, neither has so far been willing to back down. On Sunday, they again each blamed the other for undermining peace efforts. The Thai foreign ministry also accused Cambodian forces of firing shells into civilian homes in Surin province. 'Any cessation of hostilities cannot be reached while Cambodia is severely lacking in good faith and repeatedly violating the basic principles of human rights and humanitarian law,' the foreign ministry said in a statement. From the Cambodian side, defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata issued a statement denying that they fired first. The statement accused Thailand of 'deliberate and coordinated acts of aggression'. A long-running border dispute erupted into combat this week with jets, tanks and ground troops battling in the rural border region, marked by a ridge of hills surrounded by wild jungle and agricultural land where locals farm rubber and rice. Thailand says seven of its soldiers and 13 civilians have been killed, while Cambodia has confirmed eight civilian and five military deaths. The conflict has forced more than 138,000 people to be evacuated from Thailand's border regions, and 80,000 have been driven from their homes in Cambodia. After an urgent United Nations Security Council meeting Friday in New York, Cambodia's UN Ambassador Chhea Keo said his country wanted 'an immediate ceasefire' and a peaceful resolution of the dispute. UN chief Antonio Guterres urged both sides Saturday to 'immediately agree to a ceasefire' and hold talks to find a lasting solution. As well as blaming each other for starting the fight, Cambodia has also accused Thai forces of using cluster munitions, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including hospitals. The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running dispute between the neighbours over their shared 800-kilometre border where dozens of kilometres are contested.
