Kilmar Abrego Garcia is back in ICE custody, facing possible deportation

Story Snapshot of what you need to know and why it matters:

• Days after being released from a federal prison in Tennessee, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is back in ICE custody in Baltimore.
  
• The Federal Government is threatening to once again deport Garcia, this time to Uganda if no plea deal is reached in his federal human smuggling case.
  
• A judge has ordered ICE not to remove Garcia from the U.S. pending further court proceedings.

Rest of the Story:

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is back in ICE custody just days after a federal magistrate judge ordered his release from a Tennessee prison.

Garcia was deported from Maryland to his native country of El Salvador back in March over alleged ties to the murderous MS-13 gang.

He was later returned to the states to face federal human trafficking charges in Tennessee.

A judge there granted Garcia pre-trial release, but ICE threatened to again deport him if freed.

MORE: Judges in Maryland, Tennessee order Abrego Garcia's release setting up another battle with ICE

In 2019 a U.S. Immigration Judge paved the way for Garcia's removal, however the feds were prohibited from sending him to El Salvador over potential safety risks.

Now ICE is threatening to instead deport Garcia to Uganda.

His lawyers claim the DOJ tried pressuring Garcia into pleading guilty to the federal charges in exchange for deportation to Costa Rica.

Garcia, however, refused and maintains his innocence.

"There was no need for them to take him into ICE detention, he was already on electronic monitoring from the US Marshal Service and basically on house arrest," said attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg. "The only reason they’ve chosen to take him into detention is to punish him."

Maryland Federal Judge, Paul Xinis, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, on Monday afternoon, ordered ICE not to remove Garcia outside of the U.S. until further court proceedings.

Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem posted this response on X.

"President Trump is not going to allow Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal alien who is an MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator to terrorize American citizens. Today, ICE arrested this Salvadoran man and are processing him for deportation to Uganda. The American people are safer without this MS-13 gangbanger in our country roaming freely on our streets. No more. Good riddance."

DHS also posted this video of Garcia being taken back into custody.

Garcia is currently being held in Virginia while the case plays out.