BALTIMORE — Kilmar Abrego Garcia remains free in the U.S. pending deportation.
The feds are currently fighting in court to deport him to Liberia.
Garcia's attorneys argue he should be sent to Costa Rica instead, for which the Government previously offered, but only if he agreed to plead guilty to federal human trafficking charges.
That offer was turned down by Garcia, and a judge in Tennessee recently tossed the charges because he felt the DOJ acted out of retaliation.
Now Garcia's status in the country is somewhat in limbo.
Things, however, may have taken a turn.
On June 2 Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen asked Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin if he'd be willing to let Garcia go to Costa Rica.
After a contentious back-and-forth, Mullin appeared to agree saying "Great, if he's willing to do that, we'll be happy to send him."
With that, Garcia's team quickly notified a federal court about the exchange, in hopes the feds would drop its Liberia demands.
Van Hollen has long been an outspoken supporter of Garcia.
The case began in March 2025 when Garcia was arrested by ICE and deported and briefly jailed in his native country of El Salvador, only to be brought back to the states on charges of alleged human trafficking.
Garcia's long denied any wrongdoing, while the government has repeatedly painted him as a wife beating, MS-13 gang member, involved in human trafficking.
