Kilmar Abrego García, a Salvadoran national whose case has become a focal point in the nation’s immigration debates, was taken into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on Monday, August 25, 2025, just days after being released from criminal detention.
This latest development follows a complex legal journey for García, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March 2025, only to be returned to the United States in June to face federal human smuggling charges. His attorneys report that ICE directed him to report to its Baltimore field office, where he was subsequently detained. The news comes amidst claims from his legal team that the move is an act of “vindictiveness” by the administration.
Background of Legal Battles and Deportation Fears
Abrego García entered the U.S. as a teenager, fleeing gang violence in his native El Salvador. He had been granted protection against deportation to El Salvador due to a well-founded fear of persecution. However, in March, he was deported despite a federal protection order, an action the Trump administration later termed an “administrative error.”
Following his return to the U.S. in June, García was held in Tennessee on charges of conspiring to transport undocumented migrants, stemming from a 2022 traffic stop. Despite the charges, a federal judge ordered his release pending trial, determining he was neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community. His attorneys, however, kept him in custody for weeks, fearing immediate ICE detention and deportation upon his release.
A Plea Deal and Deportation Offer
The situation escalated late last week when, according to court filings by his lawyers, federal officials presented García with a plea deal. This offer stipulated that he would plead guilty to human smuggling charges and agree to deportation to Costa Rica, where he was assured he could live as a legal immigrant without facing detention. Alternatively, if he declined the offer, he would be deported to Uganda, a country with which he has no known ties.
García declined the plea deal, opting not to plead guilty and remain in jail. Subsequently, ICE notified his attorneys that he was ordered to report to the Baltimore field office on Monday.
ICE Custody and Continued Legal Scrutiny
Upon reporting to the ICE office, García was taken into custody. His attorneys have voiced strong objections to this action, asserting that the planned deportation to Uganda is intended as punishment and to coerce a guilty plea. “The same drive for retribution that fueled this criminal case evidently caused a dramatic change in the government’s approach,” stated one of his lawyers in a court filing.
Supporters gathered outside the Baltimore ICE field office on Monday morning, holding a prayer vigil and rally in solidarity with García. His case has drawn significant attention, with many viewing it as a symbol of the administration’s aggressive immigration policies and alleged overreach.
While the government maintains that Abrego García faces serious federal crimes, his legal team argues that the sequence of events, including the mistaken deportation and the threat of deportation to a third country after being granted release, points to a pattern of “vindictive prosecution.” The precise conditions and timeline for his potential deportation to Uganda remain unclear, but his detention signifies a continuation of his protracted legal and immigration battle.
