Judge orders return of wrongfully deported man

A U.S. judge has ordered the Trump administration to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant wrongfully deported to El Salvador, back to the United States within three days. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Greenbelt, Maryland, ruled during a court hearing that the government must arrange Garcia’s return. Garcia, who had legal residency and a work permit, had been deported in error after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 12 despite a 2019 judicial order protecting him from deportation.

At the hearing, one of Garcia’s lawyers, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, argued that there was no legal basis for his removal and stressed that the government's action violated the law. Although a government lawyer, Erez Reuveni, conceded that Garcia’s removal was erroneous, he failed to provide a clear explanation for the failure to facilitate Garcia’s return. Judge Xinis pressed the government on its legal authority regarding the detention and sought an explanation for the inability to bring Garcia back promptly.

This case highlights ongoing controversies surrounding the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement, which saw similar tactics applied during the rapid deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members under the seldom-used 1798 Alien Enemies Act. ICE officials had placed Garcia on a deportation flight operating under a different set of rules despite his protected status, and Garcia has consistently denied any affiliation with the gang MS-13.

Garcia’s legal team, now bolstered by the prominent firm Quinn Emanuel—whose clientele includes billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and key Trump advisers—argues that the U.S. government has made no effort to correct its mistake. The case adds to the broader debate over the administration’s hardline immigration policies that have raised constitutional concerns and prompted criticism for sidelining judicial orders protecting migrant rights.