Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran national who was extradited back to the U.S. after being sent to a notoriously harsh prison in El Salvador, has been released from federal custody in Tennessee and is returning to his home in Maryland.
A federal judge ordered Abrego Garcia’s release, citing the lack of sufficient evidence to justify keeping him in custody and noting the procedural errors in his prior deportation.
A private security company will escort the 29-year-old back home, according to court filings from his attorneys.
Abrego Garcia’s high-profile immigration case became a focal point during the Trump administration, drawing national attention to immigration enforcement policies and the use of executive power.
His lawyers argued that his removal violated a federal judge’s prior order blocking deportation for humanitarian reasons.
Despite this, he was sent to El Salvador on March 15, where he allegedly endured severe mistreatment at the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a facility known for brutal conditions.
Court filings detail “severe beatings, severe sleep deprivation, inadequate nutrition, and psychological torture” during his detention.
Federal authorities flew Abrego Garcia back to the United States in June to face a federal criminal case in Tennessee.
He was indicted on two counts: conspiracy