Immigration officials intend to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda after he refused an offer to be deported to Costa Rica in exchange for remaining in jail and pleading guilty to human smuggling. He declined the Costa Rica proposal, was released to await trial in Maryland with his family, and was later told to report to immigration authorities. Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported in March, returned to the U.S. in June, and then detained on human smuggling charges. He has pleaded not guilty and moved to dismiss, alleging the prosecution is punitive and vindictive.
The Costa Rica offer came late Thursday, after it was clear that the Salvadoran national would likely be released from a Tennessee jail the following day. Abrego Garcia declined to extend his stay in jail and was released on Friday to await trial in Maryland with his family. Later that day, the Department of Homeland Security notified his attorneys that he would be deported to Uganda and should report to immigration authorities on Monday.
Abrego Garcia's case became a flashpoint in President Donald Trump's immigration agenda after he was mistakenly deported in March. Facing a court order, the Trump administration brought him back to the U.S. in June, only to detain him on human smuggling charges. He has pleaded not guilty and has asked the judge to dismiss the case, claiming that it is an attempt to punish him for challenging his deportation to El Salvador.
"The government immediately responded to Mr. Abrego's release with outrage," the filing reads. "Despite having requested and received assurances from the government of Costa Rica that Mr. Abrego would be accepted there, within minutes of his release from pretrial custody, an ICE representative informed Mr. Abrego's counsel that the government intended to deport Mr. Abrego to Uganda and ordered him to report to ICE's Baltimore Field Office Monday morning."
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