Judge Orders Return of Man Deported to El Salvador

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Judge Orders Return of Man Deported to El Salvador \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to bring back a Maryland man wrongly deported to El Salvador, despite court protections. The man’s deportation, called illegal by the judge, has triggered outrage and renewed concerns over immigration enforcement errors.

Judge Orders Return of Deported Maryland Man Quick Looks

Judge Paula Xinis calls deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia “illegal”
Man deported to El Salvador despite 2019 court protection
DOJ admits mistake, but offers no clear explanation
U.S. unable to confirm why he was sent to notorious prison
Judge demands urgent action to bring Abrego Garcia home
His wife and supporters rally for his return in Maryland
White House calls deportation an “administrative error”
No evidence supports MS-13 gang claims, lawyers say
Man held DHS work permit, had legal job in Maryland
Immigration community calls the case a chilling precedent

Deep Look

In a dramatic courtroom turn, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis on Friday ordered the Trump administration to arrange the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador despite a standing court order shielding him from removal. The ruling follows a cascade of administrative failures and conflicting claims that have raised alarms over the treatment of noncitizens in the U.S. immigration system.

Xinis described the deportation as an “illegal act” and sharply criticized the Justice Department for its lack of transparency and failure to act even after acknowledging the error. Her ruling sends a powerful message to federal immigration authorities and highlights the real-life consequences of bureaucratic missteps in a system where lives and families hang in the balance.

A Deportation That Shouldn’t Have Happened

Abrego Garcia, 29, fled El Salvador in 2011 after receiving threats from violent gangs. In 2019, a U.S. immigration judge ruled that he should be allowed to stay in the United States due to a credible fear of persecution, granting him protection under U.S. asylum laws. At the time, ICE did not appeal the decision nor attempt to deport him elsewhere.

Despite this, Abrego Garcia was arrested in Maryland last month and forcibly deported to El Salvador, where he was promptly imprisoned in a facility notorious for human rights abuses. Even the Justice Department attorney handling the case, Erez Reuveni, admitted in court that Garcia should not have been deported and could not provide a legal basis for the arrest.

“I’m also frustrated that I have no answers for you for a lot of these questions,” Reuveni told the judge, during a tense exchange.

Judge Xinis questioned not only the deportation itself but the conditions of Garcia’s detention in El Salvador.

“Why is he there, of all places?” she asked, referring to the brutal prison he was placed in.
“I don’t know,” Reuveni responded. “That information has not been given to me.”

An Administration Under Fire

The Trump administration has described Garcia’s removal as an “administrative error,” while continuing to assert that the courts no longer have jurisdiction over him since he is outside U.S. borders.

Garcia’s legal team strongly contests this. Attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg emphasized that his client had legal authorization to live and work in the U.S. under Department of Homeland Security guidance.

“This was not a clerical oversight. This was a clear, unlawful deportation,” he said.

“Plenty of tweets. Plenty of White House press conferences. But no actual steps taken with the government of El Salvador to make it right.”

Sandoval-Moshenberg dismissed speculation about future lawsuits or compensation.

“It will be a victory when Kilmar is home with his family,” he said. “An apology would be nice, but I’m not expecting that.”

A Family Left Behind

Jennifer Vasquez Sura, a U.S. citizen and Abrego Garcia’s wife, has become the emotional core of a grassroots campaign to reunite the couple. She and dozens of supporters held a rally outside a community center in Hyattsville, Maryland, pleading for immediate action.

“To all the wives, mothers, children who face this cruel separation — I stand with you in this bond of pain,” she said. “It’s a nightmare that feels endless.”

Vasquez Sura, who hasn’t heard from her husband since his deportation, broke down as she addressed the crowd:

“If I had all the money in the world, I would spend it all just to buy one thing — a phone call to hear Kilmar’s voice again.”

The couple have a son together, in addition to her two children from a previous relationship. Garcia had been working as a sheet metal apprentice, pursuing his journeyman license, and building a life in Maryland.

MS-13 Allegations Lacking Evidence

The Trump administration has publicly claimed Garcia is affiliated with MS-13, one of Central America’s most violent gangs. However, attorneys say the allegation is unsubstantiated and based solely on a confidential informant’s claim in 2019 that he was part of a chapter in New York — a place Garcia has never lived.

There is no record of criminal convictions, gang affiliation, or credible evidence against him. His legal team insists the gang narrative is being used to distract from the government’s mistakes and justify his unlawful deportation after the fact.

“We don’t even know how he was classified as a threat,” Sandoval-Moshenberg said.

Legal and Humanitarian Implications

Garcia’s case has ignited new scrutiny of ICE’s operational failures and the administration’s handling of asylum protections. Immigrant rights advocates say it underscores the dangers of unchecked deportation authority, especially when courts have issued explicit orders against removal.

Judge Xinis expressed deep frustration that the government had taken no concrete steps to return Garcia, even days after admitting its error.