🔗 Share this article Federal Judge Mandates Release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from ICE Custody A court has ruled the immediate release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from detention by ICE, finding his continued detainment is without lawful basis. "Since Abrego Garcia's release after erroneous imprisonment in El Salvador, he has been taken back into custody, again without lawful authority," the judge wrote in her order. The situation originates in a mistaken removal to El Salvador in March, which US authorities later acknowledged was an mistake. After his return to the United States to face alien smuggling charges, he was held in federal detention. In her order, the judge pointed out that the authorities lacks a valid removal order, which effectively blocks them from removing Mr. Abrego Garcia "for now." Context of the Case The court challenge involve conflicting claims. Whereas the Trump administration contends that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang, he categorically disputes this claim. He has also entered a not guilty plea to the smuggling charges, which are part of a separate criminal case in the state of Tennessee. Conditions of Release The court, who was hearing his petition to removal in a Maryland district court, determined that he must now comply with the conditions of his bond from jail in Tennessee. This order effectively transfers his monitoring to the Tennessee court. This ruling marks a significant turn in a complex immigration case involving allegations of wrongful detention and contested gang associations.