DHS to soon deport Abrego Garcia to African nation after illegal alien’s return from El Salvador, filing says
In a significant development regarding immigration policy, the Trump administration has announced plans to deport Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran immigrant, to Liberia, following an agreement with the West African nation. This decision, highlighted in a recent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) filing, could see Abrego Garcia sent to Liberia as soon as October 31, despite a previous court ruling that barred his removal to El Salvador due to fears of persecution. Abrego Garcia’s case has become emblematic of the ongoing tensions between Trump’s aggressive deportation strategies and the efforts of Democrats to protect vulnerable immigrants. His journey through the U.S. immigration system has been fraught with controversy, particularly after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March 2023, despite a 2019 protection finding that should have safeguarded him from such an outcome.
Abrego Garcia’s attorneys have vehemently criticized the administration’s latest move, labeling it as politically motivated and punitive. They argue that the choice of Liberia, a country with which Abrego Garcia has no ties, is designed to inflict maximum hardship on him, especially as he awaits trial on separate charges in the U.S. Attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg stated that Costa Rica is prepared to accept him as a refugee, presenting a more humane alternative that the government appears to be ignoring. The DHS filing attempts to reassure that Liberia is a “thriving democracy” with a commitment to human rights, but critics, including Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, argue that the administration is engaging in what could be seen as vindictive prosecution. Van Hollen has been a vocal advocate for Abrego Garcia, asserting that the Trump administration’s actions are an attempt to circumvent his constitutional rights and deny him a fair chance to contest the charges against him.
Abrego Garcia’s immigration saga began when he entered the U.S. illegally in 2011 and subsequently received a deportation order in 2019. His case has been complicated by allegations of gang affiliation with MS-13, which he has contested. The situation has drawn significant public attention, especially after a federal judge highlighted potential retaliatory motives behind the government’s actions against him. As Abrego Garcia remains detained in Pennsylvania, the looming threat of deportation to Liberia raises critical questions about the intersection of immigration policy, human rights, and the legal protections afforded to individuals navigating the U.S. immigration system. The unfolding events serve as a stark reminder of the complexities and challenges faced by immigrants in America, particularly those caught in the crosshairs of a contentious political landscape.
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The Trump administration said it could soon deport Salvadoran
illegal immigrant
Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the African nation of Liberia after reaching an agreement with that country, according to a Department of Homeland Security filing Friday.
The court filing said that Abrego Garcia could be sent to the West African nation as soon as Oct. 31 to fulfill a
standing deportation
order against him.
Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March despite a 2019 protection finding and a court order barring his removal to his home country. His case has become a focal point in the clash between Trump’s hardline deportation agenda and Democratic efforts to block removals.
ABREGO GARCIA RELEASED FROM JAIL, WILL RETURN TO MARYLAND TO AWAIT TRIAL
The filing noted that Abrego Garcia’s attorneys cited more than 20 countries he allegedly fears would prosecute or torture him if he were removed there and that Liberia is not on that list.
“Liberia is a thriving democracy and one of the United States’s closest partners on the African continent,” the filing said.
The filing said the country’s national language is English, its constitution “provides
robust protections for human rights,
” and Liberia is “committed to the humane treatment of refugees.”
DHS said in the filing that it has received diplomatic assurances from Liberia about the humane treatment of people removed there.
Attorneys for Abrego Garcia blasted the administration’s latest move as political retribution, arguing the latest deportation plan is part of a pattern of punitive deportation tactics.
“After failed attempts with Uganda, Eswatini, and Ghana, ICE now seeks to deport our client, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, to Liberia, a country with which he has no connection, thousands of miles from his family and home in Maryland,” attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg said in a statement, according to The Associated Press.
ABREGO GARCIA RENEWS PUSH FOR ASYLUM IN US, REVEALS NEW COUNTRY WILLING TO ACCEPT HIM
“Costa Rica stands ready to
accept him as a refugee
, a viable and lawful option,” the lawyer added. “Yet the government has chosen a course calculated to inflict maximum hardship. These actions are punitive, cruel and unconstitutional.”
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., a staunch supporter of Abrego Garcia, condemned the latest filing on Friday. Van Hollen flew to El Salvador in April in a publicized visit to meet Abrego Garcia in prison and has led the effort to get him released.
“The Trump Administration has been desperately shopping for faraway countries they can ship Kilmar Abrego Garcia to in order to deny his
constitutional due process right
to defend himself against the charges they have brought,” Van Hollen said in a statement.
“Clearly, Trump’s cronies want to avoid answering for the claim that they are engaged in a vindictive prosecution against Abrego Garcia, after a
federal judge
concluded earlier this month that his prosecution ‘may stem from retaliation by the DOJ and DHS due to Abrego’s successful challenge of his unlawful deportation in Maryland.’ Kilmar must be allowed his day in court to fight for his rights,” the senator said.
Abrego Garcia entered the U.S. illegally in 2011 and was issued a deportation order in 2019. Two previous judges found he was likely affiliated
with MS-13.
Trump administration officials acknowledged in court that his deportation had been an administrative error, although some top Trump officials said he was correctly removed and contended he’s a member of the notorious MS-13 gang.
READ THE FILING. APP USERS
CLICK HERE
One immigration judge in 2019 found that Garcia had not sufficiently refuted evidence of MS-13 affiliation and was thus removable to anywhere other than El Salvador because of a threat from a rival gang.
The latest move to deport him comes as Abrego Garcia remains in immigration detention in Pennsylvania. A federal judge in Maryland previously barred his immediate deportation while reviewing claims that the government is retaliating against him for successfully challenging his wrongful removal earlier this year.
The same judge wrote in an October order that his prosecution “may stem from retaliation by the DOJ and DHS,” while a separate
case in Tennessee
over human smuggling charges is still pending.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
