On March 12, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested Kilmar Ábrego García. He is a 37-year-old Salvadoran man with no criminal convictions in the United States or his native El Salvador. His case has received widespread attention owing in part to allegations that his immigration status was questioned and his deportation was handled in an unjust manner. In response to this wrongful deportation, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to help facilitate García’s immediate return and show their work in bringing him back to the U.S. Despite this, García was deported to El Salvador, angering legal experts, activists, and García’s family.
García’s legal disputes started in 2012 when he allegedly crossed the border illegally into the United States. He was detained in March 2019 when he went to apply for work at a Home Depot in Maryland. After arrest, he was deported to El Salvador without ever having a hearing just three days later. He was being expelled despite direct violation of an undated 2019 court order barring his removal from the country. He had been granted a “withholding of removal” order due to his fear that if returned to El Salvador he would face persecution.
On March 12, 2025, ICE enforcement officers arrested and detained García, telling him that his immigration status had been revoked. This drastic reversal triggered deep concerns about the legality of his detention and risk of deportation. The Trump administration used him as a scapegoat, claiming that he was connected to the violent MS-13 gang. To further substantiate their assertion, they uploaded evidence to the internet. As his attorneys have repeatedly pointed out, this is absurd and there’s no factual or legal basis for these claims.
In 2020, García’s then wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, filed a petition for protection against ex-husband, claiming abuse. His attorneys and advocates believe that this cannot be used to legalize the actions of ICE. As the family’s story gained national attention, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to allow García to return. The judge required accountability for what they were doing. Recently, the Supreme Court upheld this order, further complicating a complicated legal challenge.
Legal counsel Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg emphasized the value in allowing García to have his day in court.
“To be clear, nothing in Kilmar Ábrego García’s history gives the government permission or an excuse to violate his right to due process or legitimize his illegal removal from the US.” – The letter.
Their legal team alleges that any efforts to politicize García’s situation are detrimental to survivors and impede justice.
“Attempts to traumatize and intimidate survivors, and turn their experiences into political theater, are unacceptable and damaging.” – The letter.
Sandoval-Moshenberg reasserted that García should at least be given a chance to present his case and tell his story.
“The whole country has spent the last month talking about [Kilmar Ábrego García], and speaking for or against Kilmar Ábrego García,” he stated. “The one person who hasn’t yet had the chance to speak is Kilmar Ábrego García.”
His remarks make it clear that moving immigration cases out from under the traditional adjudication model requires transparency and accountability.
“They can introduce all of this evidence, and he can respond in his own voice.” – Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg.
Due to his deportation, García had to experience life in an El Salvador maximum-security prison. Unfortunately, he has now been moved to another facility. His family has been among the most outspoken advocates of his return. They insist that his deportation breaks long-established legal protections and standards for human rights.
“No one is perfect, and no marriage is perfect. That is not a justification for ICE’s action of abducting him and deporting him to a country where he was supposed to be protected from deportation.” – Jennifer Vasquez Sura.
Today, our nation is alive with conversations around comprehensive immigration reform and reestablishing due process. Kilmar Ábrego García’s case illustrates the myriad of complexities and controversies that often shroud deportation proceedings. Legal experts warn that his case poses serious, far-reaching implications. It asks important questions about the dignity with which we treat all immigrants and the legitimacy of our immigration enforcement priorities.