U.S. will try to deport Abrego Garcia before his trial, Justice Department attorney says
The disclosure by U.S. lawyer Jonathan Guynn contradicts statements by spokespeople for the Justice Department and the White House, who said last month that Abrego Garcia would stand trial and possibly spend time in an American prison before the government moves to deport him.
Guynn made the revelation during a federal court hearing in Maryland, where Abrego Garcia's American wife is suing the Trump administration over his mistaken deportation in March and trying to prevent him being expelled again.
Guynn said that U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement would detain Abrego Garcia once he's released from jail and send him to a 'third country' that isn't his native El Salvador. Guynn said he didn't know which country that would be.
Abrego Garcia became a flash point over President Trump's immigration policies when he was deported in March to a notorious megaprison in El Salvador. The Trump administration violated a U.S. immigration judge's 2019 order that shielded Abrego Garcia from deportation to his native country because he likely faced persecution there by local gangs that terrorized his family.
Facing increasing pressure and a Supreme Court order, the Trump administration returned Abrego Garcia last month to face federal human smuggling charges. Abrego Garcia's attorneys have characterized the case as 'preposterous' and an attempt to justify his erroneous deportation.
A federal judge in Nashville was preparing to release Abrego Garcia to await trial. But she agreed last week to keep Abrego Garcia behind bars at the request of his own attorneys. They had raised concerns that the U.S. would try to immediately deport him, while citing what they say were 'contradictory statements' by the Trump administration.
For example, Guynn had told U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland on June 26 that the U.S. government planned to deport Abrego Garcia to a 'third country' that isn't El Salvador. But he said there was no timeline for the deportation plans.
Later that day, Justice Department spokesperson Chad Gilmartin told the Associated Press that the department intends to try Abrego Garcia on the smuggling charges before it moves to deport him.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson posted on X that day that Abrego Garcia 'will face the full force of the American justice system — including serving time in American prison for the crimes he's committed.'
Abrego Garcia's attorneys have asked Xinis to order the government to take Abrego Garcia to Maryland upon release from jail in Tennessee, an arrangement that would prevent his deportation before trial. Abrego Garcia lived in Maryland for more than a decade, working in construction and raising a family with his wife.
Xinis is still considering Abrego Garcia's lawyers' request to send him to Maryland if he's released. Meanwhile, Xinis ruled Monday that the lawsuit against the Trump administration over Abrego Garcia's mistaken deportation can continue.
Kunzelman and Finley write for the Associated Press. Finley reported from Norfolk, Va.
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San Francisco Chronicle
6 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bald eagles hatched in Piedmont. It turned into a neighborhood reckoning with patriotism
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San Francisco Chronicle
6 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Will UCLA wilt like an Ivy? Trump extortion threat is the ultimate test
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I'm confident UCLA will not enter into such an agreement, since doing so would violate California law, would violate our state's core values, and would be straight up morally unacceptable,' Wiener wrote in a statement. Gov. Gavin Newsom also urged the UC to stay strong, unlike the paper tigers of the Ivy League, against what he described Friday as Trump 'threaten(ing) us through extortion with a billion-dollar fine unless we do his bidding.' 'We're not Brown, we're not Columbia, and I'm not going to be governor if we act like that, period full stop,' Newsom said Thursday in San Francisco when I asked him whether the UC should cut a deal with Trump. 'I will fight like hell to make sure that doesn't happen. There's principles, there's right and wrong, and we'll do the right thing. And what President Trump is doing is wrong, and everybody knows it.' 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Newsweek
7 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Trump Envoy Slammed for 'Damaging Incompetence' Over Putin Talks
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump's U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff has been slammed for "damaging incompetence" over his talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Michael McFaul, who served in the Barack Obama administration, including as U.S. ambassador to the Russian Federation, reacted to reports that Witkoff presented conflicting narratives about Putin's intentions in several calls with European leaders last week, creating confusion. Newsweek was unable to verify these reports and contacted Witkoff and the White House outside of normal business hours for comment. Why It Matters One of Trump's pledges during the 2024 presidential campaign was to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office, but he has thus far failed to do so. In a renewed attempt to broker a peace deal between the warring countries, Witkoff met Putin on Wednesday for three hours of talks in what was his fifth trip to Moscow in his capacity as Trump's envoy. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, right, shake hands during their meeting in Moscow on August 6, 2025. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, right, shake hands during their meeting in Moscow on August 6, 2025. Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP What To Know According to The Wall Street Journal, Witkoff presented Putin's ceasefire plan to European officials after he met with the Russian leader. Citing anonymous sources, the publication said Moscow was prepared to withdraw from the southern regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in exchange for full control of Donetsk Oblast. The publication said that the next day, he presented a different claim—that Putin would withdraw and freeze the front line, and that during a third call, he said the Russian leader wanted Ukraine to withdraw from Donetsk in an exchange for a ceasefire. McFaul, now a Stanford University academic said: "This is deeply damaging incompetence. Witkoff should finally start taking a note taker from the U.S. embassy for future meetings. That's how professional diplomacy works." Meanwhile, other figures also criticized Witkoff. Journalist Michael Weiss wrote: "The U.S. envoy is grossly incompetent and his confusion is causing diplomatic crises." Garry Kasparov, a Russian chess grandmaster and political activist wrote: "Like so most of Trump's appointees, Witkoff's only qualification is that Trump is sure he will put Trump's personal interests and desires over American national interests without a second thought. Of course he's incompetent." What People Are Saying Writing on Truth Social about the meeting, President Donald Trump said: "My special envoy, Steve Witkoff, just had a highly productive meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Great progress was made! Afterwards, I updated some of our European allies. Everyone agrees this war must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come." What Happens Next Trump is scheduled to meet Putin in Alaska on August 15 as part of his efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine.
