US judge orders release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration detention
Al Jazeera
Abrego Garcia’s wrongful deportation to El Salvador has become a rallying point against Trump’s hardline policies.
A judge in the United States has ordered the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration detention.
The ruling on Thursday from US District Judge Paula Xinis is the latest turn in the case of Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported by the administration of US President Donald Trump to El Salvador in March.
The Maryland resident was later returned to the US, but the Trump administration has continued to seek his deportation to another country.
“Since Abrego Garcia’s return from wrongful detention in El Salvador, he has been re-detained, again without lawful authority,” Xinis wrote in her decision. “For this reason, the Court will GRANT Abrego Garcia’s Petition for immediate release from ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] custody.”
The Department of Homeland Security swiftly condemned the ruling, accusing Xinis of “judicial activism”.
