US will try to deport Abrego Garcia before his trial, prosecutor says

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and BEN FINLEY GREENBELT Md AP The U S leadership would initiate deportation proceedings against Kilmar Abrego Garcia if he s distributed from jail before he stands trial on human smuggling charges in Tennessee a Justice Department attorney advised a federal judge in Maryland on Monday The disclosure by U S lawyer Jonathan Guynn contradicts statements by spokespeople for the Justice Department and the White House who reported last month that Abrego Garcia would stand trial and possibly spend time in an American prison before the leadership moves to deport him Guynn made the revelation during a federal court hearing in Maryland where Abrego Garcia s lawyers have expressed concerns that he would be denied due process once more by the Trump administration before it likely tries to expel him again from the U S Guynn noted that U S Immigrations and Customs Enforcement would detain Abrego Garcia once he s issued from jail in Tennessee and send him to a third country that isn t his native El Salvador However Guynn disclosed he didn t know which country that would be Jennifer Vasquez Sura center the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia arrives at the U S District Court in Greenbelt Md Monday July AP Photo Mark Schiefelbein Supporters of Kilmar Abrego Garcia rally outside of the U S District Court in Greenbelt Md where a hearing was scheduled to be held on returning him to Maryland Monday July AP Photo Mark Schiefelbein Jennifer Vasquez Sura center the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia joins supporters of Abrego Garcia as they rally outside of the U S District Court in Greenbelt Md where a hearing was scheduled to be held on returning him to Maryland Monday July AP Photo Mark Schiefelbein Supporters of Kilmar Abrego Garcia rally outside of the U S District Court in Greenbelt Md where a hearing was scheduled to be held on returning him to Maryland Monday July AP Photo Mark Schiefelbein Show Caption of Jennifer Vasquez Sura center the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia arrives at the U S District Court in Greenbelt Md Monday July AP Photo Mark Schiefelbein Expand Abrego Garcia became a flashpoint over President Donald Trump s immigration policies when he was deported in March to a notorious megaprison in his native El Salvador The Trump administration violated a U S immigration judge s order in that shielded Abrego Garcia from deportation to El Salvador because he likely faced persecution there by local gangs that terrorized his family Facing increasing pressure and a Supreme Court order the Trump administration returned Abrego Garcia to the United States last month to face federal human smuggling charges Abrego Garcia s attorneys have characterized the circumstance as preposterous and an attempt to justify his erroneous deportation A federal judge in Nashville was preparing to release Abrego Garcia to await trial But she agreed last week to keep Abrego Garcia behind bars at the request of his own attorneys They had raised concerns the U S would try to right away deport him while citing what they say were contradictory statements by the Trump administration For example Guynn had explained U S District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland on June that the U S regime planned to deport Abrego Garcia to a third country that isn t El Salvador But he announced there was no timeline for the deportation plans Related Articles As RFK Jr pushes to limit vaccines MMR pioneer defends their lifesaving power Lessons endure after Disney closes a favorite ride Debate erupts over role job cuts played in weather forecasts ahead of deadly Texas floods Doctors and population wellbeing organizations sue Kennedy over vaccine agenda changes Bay Area family published missing in Texas floods Later that day DOJ spokesperson Chad Gilmartin stated The Associated Press that the Justice Department intends to try Abrego Garcia on the smuggling charges before it moves to deport him White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson posted on X that day that Abrego Garcia will face the full force of the American justice system including serving time in American prison for the crimes he s committed Abrego Garcia s attorneys have petitioned Xinis to order the administration to take Abrego Garcia to Maryland upon release from jail in Tennessee an arrangement that would prevent his deportation before trial Abrego Garcia lived in Maryland outside of Washington for more than a decade working construction and raising a family with his American wife Xinis is still considering his lawyers request to send him to Maryland if he s distributed Meanwhile Xinis ruled Monday that the lawsuit against the Trump administration over Abrego Garcia s mistaken deportation can continue Finley released from Norfolk Virginia