The Trump administration is weighing options for deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a suspected human smuggler linked to the MS-13 gang. Officials have mentioned Mexico and South Sudan as potential destinations for the Salvadoran national, who has been incorrectly labeled as a “Maryland man” in some reports.
Abrego Garcia was previously deported to El Salvador but was brought back to the U.S. to face charges related to human smuggling. He is currently in custody in Tennessee, awaiting trial. If he is released from jail before the trial, he could be deported again. His legal team argues that returning him to El Salvador poses a risk of torture.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is looking to send Abrego Garcia to a “third country,” which refers to any nation willing to accept deportees from the U.S. This arrangement became possible after a recent Supreme Court decision that favored the Trump administration, allowing more deportations to third countries. This ruling has opened the door for thousands of illegal immigrants to be sent elsewhere.
Abrego Garcia’s case has sparked debate in the immigration community. He was arrested in 2022 during a traffic stop in Tennessee, where officers found him driving a modified van with nine undocumented men inside. The officers suspected he was being paid to transport them.
His situation has drawn attention from politicians, particularly from Democrats, who have defended him and referred to him as a constituent from Maryland. Interestingly, Abrego Garcia has ties to a left-leaning group that advocates for illegal immigrants and has called for the abolition of ICE, receiving federal funding under the Biden administration.
As the case unfolds, it continues to be a focal point in discussions about immigration policy and enforcement in the United States.