As expected, Kilmar Abrego Garcia was taken into custody this morning when he checked in as directed with immigration authorities in Maryland. It is expected that he will be deported imminently, although his lawyers will continue to fight that outcome. Our James Lynch has this report.
As we’ve extensively covered, Abrego Garcia is the subject of a 2019 removal order, but it has a caveat that he may not be deported to his native El Salvador. The order was issued by an immigration “court” — i.e., a Justice Department tribunal, not an independent Article III court. Despite that caveat, called “withholding of removal,” the Trump administration deported him to El Salvador this spring (along with more than 200 Venezuelan aliens, many of whom it alleges are members of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang). From what appears on the public record, the 2019 order is still in effect, even though there is a procedure by which Attorney General Pam Bondi could have tried to get it reversed.
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