A federal judge in Maryland has pressed the US government to guarantee that Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia will not be deported before the current injunction blocking his removal is lifted. Abrego Garcia, who has lived in Maryland for years with his American wife and child, originally fled El Salvador as a teen due to violent gang threats. He was mistakenly deported to El Salvador earlier this year despite a 2019 immigration judge’s ruling protecting him, leading to public outcry and court orders for his return.
Now, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has proposed sending him to Liberia, one of several African countries recently identified as possible destinations for Abrego Garcia. During Monday’s hearing, Judge Paula Xinis questioned why the government was not pursuing his preferred relocation to Costa Rica, which had offered to accept him legally and promised not to re-deport him. She noted that both sides were about to spend significant resources contesting his possible removal to Liberia.
Government attorneys did not clearly answer why Costa Rica was not chosen, maintaining their plan to deport him to Liberia as early as Friday, if she lifts the injunction. The judge emphasized her expectation that the government comply with the court order and criticized the handling of Abrego Garcia’s case as wasteful and possibly politically motivated.
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