Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a resident of Maryland, finds himself at the heart of a contentious legal and diplomatic storm. He was deported to El Salvador despite court orders barring such a move.
The 28-year-old father of three, living in the United States for over a decade, was sent to El Salvador by the Donald Trump administration on allegations that he was affiliated with the notorious MS-13 gang. These claims, however, have never been substantiated in court, and no criminal charges have been brought against him in the US to date.
Abrego Garcia now languishes in one of El Salvador’s megaprison facilities, a situation US authorities have chalked up to an “administrative error.” His wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, along with his legal team, has denied all allegations, painting him instead as a devoted husband and hard-working sheet metal apprentice.
Early Life And Move To The US
Born in July 1995 in Los Nogales, El Salvador, Abrego Garcia grew up helping his family run a business making pupusa, a local delicacy, according to a report in NBC News. His early life was overshadowed by threats and extortion from local gang members. Seeking safety, he crossed the US border in 2012 at the age of 16 and eventually settled in Maryland with his brother, a US citizen.
It was in Maryland that Abrego Garcia built a life. He married a US citizen, raised three children (including two step children) and worked in the construction sector as a sheet metal apprentice, joining a local trade union.
The Arrest
Abrego Garcia’s troubles began in March 2019 when he was detained outside a Home Depot in Hyattsville, Maryland, along with three other men. Police labelled the group as loiterers and suspected gang affiliation based on their clothing and a “confidential source.” Although no criminal charges followed, these assumptions became the basis for the government’s claims that Abrego Garcia was linked to MS-13.
Documents later revealed inconsistencies in how police documented the incident. His legal team insists that “there is no reliable evidence in the record to support” the claim of gang membership, calling the allegations hearsay derived from an unverified source.
One of the arresting officers, Ivan Mendez, was later removed from duty and convicted of misconduct in an unrelated case, further casting doubt on the credibility of the original gang allegations.
A Judge’s Protection Ignored
Despite the accusations, a 2019 immigration judge granted Abrego Garcia protection from being deported to El Salvador, citing his “well-founded fear of future persecution” from local gangs, stated the NBC News report, He was granted withholding of removal, allowing him to stay in the US under strict conditions, including annual check-ins with immigration authorities.
His legal status meant he had the right to live and work in the US temporarily.
On March 15, 2025, Abrego Garcia was abruptly deported to El Salvador in violation of the standing court order. The administration has since argued that it lacks jurisdiction to bring him back now that he is outside the country, despite a federal judge — and later the Supreme Court — ordering them to “facilitate” his return and show evidence of such efforts.
Meeting With US Senator
After weeks of silence and mounting concern for his wellbeing, Abrego Garcia was briefly released from prison in El Salvador on April 17 to meet with US Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.
“His conversation with me was the first communication he’d had with anybody outside of prison since he was abducted. He said he felt very sad about being in a prison because he had not committed any crimes,” said Van Hollen.
Van Hollen later described the deportation as an “illegal abduction,” and added that Abrego Garcia had “experienced trauma,” according to NBC News.
Shortly after the meeting, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele confirmed that Abrego Garcia would remain incarcerated, stating he had been examined and found to be in good health.
Allegations Continue, But No Charges
Despite the mounting scrutiny, the Department of Homeland Security has continued to release claims against Abrego Garcia. These include involvement in a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop that allegedly raised suspicions of human trafficking. No charges were filed, and law enforcement allowed him to leave. His wife has defended the incident, saying, “Kilmar worked in construction and sometimes transported groups of workers between job sites, so it’s entirely plausible he would have been pulled over while driving with others in the vehicle.”
Adding to the complexity, DHS also highlighted a temporary restraining order sought by his wife in 2021, which she later dropped. “No one is perfect, and no marriage is perfect. That is not a justification for ICE’s action of abducting him and deporting him to a country where he was supposed to be protected from deportation,” she stated.
For now, Abrego Garcia remains behind bars in El Salvador, while legal battles continue in US courts. His wife and supporters are fighting to bring him home.
