Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran native dwelling Maryland, was mistakenly deported in March to a mega-prison in his dwelling nation of El Salvador — regardless of a 2019 court docket order barring his deportation to that nation on account of worry of persecution — after the Trump administration claimed he was a member of the legal gang MS-13, which his household denies.
After a collection of court docket battles during which the Trump administration stated it couldn’t deliver him again regardless of the Supreme Court docket ordering them to facilitate his return, Abrego Garcia was indicted for allegedly transporting undocumented migrants inside america, and brought back to the U.S. to face costs.
Right here is how the case has unfolded.
March 15, 2025
The Trump administration, as a part of its immigration crackdown, deports three planeloads of alleged migrant gang members to El Salvador, the place they’re incarcerated within the infamous CECOT mega-prison underneath an settlement with the Salvadoran authorities. The alleged gang members embrace Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose protected authorized standing precludes him from being deported to that nation.
Salvadoran law enforcement officials escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua lately deported by the U.S. authorities to be imprisoned within the Terrorism Confinement Middle jail, in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, obtained March 16, 2025.
Presidency Of El Salvador/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
March 18, 2025
Households of a number of of the deported males inform ABC Information that their detained family members have no criminal record in america — a undeniable fact that’s acknowledged by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official, who nonetheless says that “the dearth of particular details about every particular person really highlights the chance they pose” and “demonstrates that they’re terrorists with regard to whom we lack a whole profile.”
April 1, 2025
In a sworn declaration as a part of a lawsuit introduced by Abrego Garcia’s attorneys, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official says Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador because of an “administrative error” — however that he’s nonetheless underneath a “last order of removing” for deportation, after the federal government rescinded his protected authorized standing on account of his purported gang ties as alleged by a confidential police informant.
Court docket paperwork say that on March 12, Abrego Garcia was detained by ICE officers who “knowledgeable him that his immigration standing had modified” as a result of MS-13 allegations, after which he was transferred to a detention middle in Texas after which deported to El Salvador.
Undated picture supplied by the U.S. District Court docket for the District of Maryland, a person recognized by Jennifer Vasquez Sura as her husband, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, is led by power by guards by means of the Terrorism Confinement Middle in Tecoluca, El Salvador.
U.S. District Court docket for the District of Maryland through AP
April 4, 2025
U.S. District Choose Paula Xinis, at a listening to in Maryland, grants a preliminary injunction and orders the federal government to “facilitate and effectuate” the return of Abrego Garcia to america by midnight on April 7.
Requested by Choose Xinis underneath what authority legislation enforcement officers seized Abrego Garcia, DOJ legal professional Erez Reuveni says he doesn’t have the reply, telling the decide, “Your honor, my reply to a variety of these questions goes to be irritating and I am additionally pissed off that I’ve no solutions for you on a variety of these questions.”
April 5, 2025
A day after the listening to, the Justice Division locations DOJ legal professional Erez Reuveni on indefinite paid leave over a “failure to zealously advocate” for the federal government’s pursuits.
April 7, 2025
Supreme Court docket Chief Justice John Roberts points a temporary administrative stay pushing aside Choose Xinis’ midnight deadline for the federal government to return Abrego Garcia from El Salvador, so as to give the court docket extra time to contemplate the arguments introduced by either side.
April 8, 2025
After the Trump administration, in a court docket submitting, argues {that a} decide cannot demand Abrego Garcia’s return as a result of a federal court docket cannot order a president to interact in overseas diplomacy, an legal professional for Abrego Garcia tells ABC News he believes the Supreme Court docket will rule in his shopper’s favor.
April 9, 2025
In an interview with ABC Information, Abrego Garcia’s spouse, a U.S. citizen, denies the Trump administration’s allegation that her husband is a member of the legal gang MS-13.
Jennifer Vasquez Sura, spouse of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, speaks throughout a press convention on the day of a listening to within the case associated to Kilmar Abrego Garcia outdoors U.S. District Court docket in Greenbelt, Maryland, April 15, 2025.
Leah Millis/Reuters
April 10, 2025
The U.S. Supreme Court docket unanimously rules that Choose Xinis “correctly requires the Authorities to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s launch from custody in El Salvador and to make sure that his case is dealt with as it will have been had he not been improperly despatched to El Salvador.”
“The supposed scope of the time period ‘effectuate’ within the District Court docket’s order is, nevertheless, unclear, and will exceed the District Court docket’s authority,” the court docket writes. “The District Court docket ought to make clear its directive, with due regard for the deference owed to the Government Department within the conduct of overseas affairs.”
The Trump administration, decoding the ruling as prohibiting the district court docket from ordering the chief department to take any motion that will violate the separation of powers, celebrates the order as a victory for the administration.
April 11, 2025
Saying “the Supreme Court docket has spoken fairly clearly” that Abrego Garcia ought to be launched from El Salvador, Choose Xinis slams the federal government’s dealing with of the case and orders the Justice Division to supply her with “each day updates” on Abrego Garcia’s standing and their efforts to deliver him again.
April 12, 2025
A State Division official, in response to Choose Xinis’ demand for each day updates, tells the judge that Abrego Garcia is “alive and safe” in El Salvador’s CECOT jail, however offers no details about their efforts to return him to america.
April 14, 2025
Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi, in an Oval Office meeting with President Trump and the visiting El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, says that Abrego Garcia’s return is “as much as El Salvador,” after which Bukele says, “I haven’t got the ability to return him to america.”
President Donald Trump meets with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele within the Oval Workplace on the White Home in Washington, April 14, 2025.
Win McNamee/Getty Photos
April 15, 2025
Choose Xinis, in a listening to, takes Justice Division attorneys to job over the Trump administration’s inaction and orders authorities officers to testify under oath by means of expedited discovery so as to resolve Abrego Garcia’s wrongful deportation.
Previous to the listening to, a DHS official says the Trump administration is “ready to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s presence in america … if he presents at a port of entry” — however that DHS doesn’t have the authority to forcibly extract him “from the home custody of a overseas sovereign nation.”
April 16, 2025
The Division of Justice information discover that it’s going to enchantment Choose Xinis’ ruling ordering the federal government to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return, and releases two documents that had been beforehand used to allegedly tie Abrego Garcia to MS-13.
The developments come on the identical day that DHS, in a social media submit, shares court docket information exhibiting that Abrego Garcia’s spouse had a month-long order of protection towards him in 2021, during which she cited being slapped, hit with an object, and being detained towards her will.
In the meantime, Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the place Abrego Garcia and his household dwell, travels to El Salvador within the hope of assembly with Abrego Garcia to get solutions about his deportation and test on his situation.
April 17, 2025
Slamming the federal government for “asserting a proper to stash away residents of this nation in overseas prisons with out the illusion of due course of,” the U.S. Court docket of Appeals for the 4th Circuit denies the Trump administration’s effort to enchantment Choose Xinis’ order requiring it to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return.
Late within the day, Sen. Van Hollen shares a photograph on social media of him meeting with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador. Abrego Garcia’s spouse is informed that the assembly was arrange by El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, a supply near the household tells ABC Information.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen shares picture of assembly Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen/ X
April 18, 2025
Sen. Van Hollen, at a information convention following his return from El Salvador, provides details of his assembly with Abrego Garcia, saying that authorities introduced Abrego Garcia to his resort for the assembly and that Abrego Garcia informed him he had been transferred 9 days in the past to a different facility and was not being held on the CECOT mega-prison — though he nonetheless has no entry to information and no potential to speak with the skin world.
April 20, 2025
Trump administration border czar Tom Homan tells ABC Information’ “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl that the administration properly used the Alien Enemies Act when it deported Abrego Garcia.
Sen. Van Hollen, discussing Abrego Garcia in a separate “This Week” interview, tells Karl, “I’m not defending the person. I am defending the rights of this man to due course of.”
April 21, 2025
The Salvadoran authorities rejects a request from 4 Democratic lawmakers to go to Abrego Garcia in El Salvador.
April 22, 2025
Choose Xinis, overruling objections raised by the Trump administration, orders the federal government to more fully answer and reply to discovery requests from Abrego Garcia’s attorneys.
April 23, 2025
Choose Xinis, on the Trump administration’s request, temporarily pauses discovery within the case for seven days.
April 29, 2025
In an unique interview with ABC Information to mark his a hundredth day in workplace, President Trump says he “could” secure the return of Abrego Garcia, and “if he had been the gentleman that you simply say he’s, I might do this” — earlier than including, “I am not the one making this determination.”
April 30, 2025
A number of sources inform ABC Information that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been in touch with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele about Abrego Garcia, though particulars of their contact are usually not instantly clear.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia speaks with a Tennessee state trooper on the facet of I-40 in 2022.
Tennessee Freeway Patrol
Might 2, 2025
Newly launched video exhibits the moments when Abrego Garcia was pulled over by state troopers in Tennessee in 2022.
Might 6, 2025
Sources inform ABC Information that the Justice Division has spoken with a convicted felon in an Alabama jail about potential connections to the 2022 Tennessee traffic stop involving Abrego Garcia.
Might 7, 2025
Choose Xinis orders attorneys for Abrego Garcia and the DOJ to submit briefs by Might 12 and schedules a listening to for Might 16 after the Trump administration invokes the not often used state secrets privilege to defend details about its dealing with of the matter.
Might 8, 2025
Attorneys for Abrego Garcia, saying they’re “nonetheless at nighttime” after deposing three authorities officers within the case, ask Choose Xinis to authorize the depositions of three additional officials.
Might 13, 2025
Legal professionals for Abrego Garcia, in a court docket submitting, push back on the Trump administration’s invocation of the state secrets and techniques privilege, saying that the federal government has produced no proof that it is made “the slightest effort” to facilitate his launch.
Might 16, 2025
Below orders from Choose Xinis following a listening to on the matter, the Trump administration releases Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Might 5 declaration supporting the invocation of the state secrets and techniques privilege within the case. Rubio, within the declaration, says that the disclosure of sure info requested by Abrego Garcia’s attorneys “could possibly be anticipated to trigger significant harm to the overseas relations pursuits” and nationwide safety pursuits of the U.S.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia is positioned within the again seat of a truck by ICE brokers after arriving in Nashville, Tenn., June 6, 2025.
ABC Information
June 6, 2025
Abrego Garcia is brought back to the U.S. to face legal costs for allegedly taking part in a yearslong conspiracy to haul undocumented migrants from Texas to the inside of america. Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi, after the administration had stated for months that it couldn’t deliver him again, says, “Our authorities introduced El Salvador with an arrest warrant and so they agreed to return him to our nation.”
Abrego Garcia makes his preliminary court docket look within the Center District of Tennessee, answering “Sure, I perceive” in Spanish when U.S. Justice of the Peace Choose Barbara Holmes asks him if he understands the fees towards him.
