Kilmar Abrego, the migrant whose wrongful deportation to El Salvador turned him into a symbol of US President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies, has been ordered to appear before federal officials in Baltimore on Monday. The 30-year-old now faces the possibility of being deported again – this time to Uganda.
Kilmar Abrego Was Released After Five Months in Detention
Abrego was freed from criminal custody in Tennessee on Friday after spending more than five months behind bars. His detention included time in a controversial mega-prison in El Salvador notorious for its severe conditions.
He has since returned to a family residence in Maryland, but his release may be short-lived. Immigration authorities could detain him once again and begin fresh deportation proceedings.
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What Has Kilmar Abrego Said on The Issue
According to his attorneys, US officials have offered to deport Abrego to Costa Rica – a Spanish-speaking Central American nation – if he agrees to plead guilty to charges of transporting undocumented migrants. Without such a plea, his removal could be directed to Uganda, which his lawyers described in court filings as “far more dangerous.”
Abrego has pleaded not guilty but admitted through his legal team that plea discussions with prosecutors are ongoing in an effort to prevent his transfer to Uganda.
Lawyers of Kilmar Abrego Say He Was Prosecuted Vindictively and Selectively
His lawyers are also pushing for dismissal of the charges, arguing that Abrego was “vindictively and selectively” prosecuted as retaliation by the Trump administration after he challenged his earlier deportation.
In March, Abrego was deported to El Salvador despite a 2019 immigration court ruling that explicitly barred his removal there due to the risk of gang-related persecution. He was returned to the United States in June to face the current charges.
Abrego’s case drew widespread attention after his removal, which US officials later admitted had been an “administrative error.” For months, the Trump administration appeared to make no effort to bring him back, despite a federal judge’s order and an acknowledgment of the mistake by an immigration official.
Last month, US District Judge Waverly Crenshaw upheld an earlier decision by Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes ordering Abrego’s release from pre-trial custody. The court found he posed neither a danger to the public nor a flight risk.
Homeland Security Labels Kilmar Abrego“Dangerous”
Despite the rulings, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem insisted that the government still considered Abrego a threat. She described him as a “monster” released by “activist liberal judges” and maintained that he remained both a dangerous criminal and an immigration violator.
In response to the latest developments, immigration activists have announced plans to hold a prayer vigil outside the Baltimore Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office. The gathering is scheduled for 7 a.m. EDT, one hour before Abrego’s check-in with federal authorities.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
