🔗 Share this article US Judge Orders Release of Abrego Garcia from Immigration Custody A federal judge has ordered the immediate release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from detention by ICE, finding his continued confinement lacks legal authority. "Since Abrego Garcia's return from wrongful detention in El Salvador, he has been taken back into custody, again without lawful authority," Judge Paula Xinis wrote in her order. The case originates in a mistaken deportation to El Salvador in March, which US authorities later admitted was an mistake. Following his return to the United States to answer alien smuggling allegations, he was held in immigration custody. In her decision, the court pointed out that the government does not have a current deportation order, which effectively blocks them from removing Mr. Abrego Garcia "for now." Context of the Case The legal proceedings center on disputed claims. Whereas the Trump administration argues that Abrego Garcia is a affiliate of the MS-13 criminal organization, he vehemently disputes this claim. He has also entered a not guilty plea to the smuggling counts, which are part of a separate trial in Tennessee. Conditions of Release The judge, who was hearing his challenge to deportation in a Maryland district court, determined that he must now comply with the conditions of his release from jail in Tennessee. This decision shifts his monitoring to the Tennessee court. This ruling represents a significant turn in a complex legal battle involving claims of wrongful detention and disputed gang associations.