Federal Judge Slams Trump-Era Deportation of Maryland Man as ‘Wholly Lawless’

In a sweeping rebuke of immigration enforcement practices under the Trump administration, a federal judge has condemned the arrest and deportation of a Maryland man to a notorious Salvadoran prison, calling the government’s actions “wholly lawless.” The court ordered that the man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, be returned to the United States immediately.

Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national, was detained by immigration agents and deported last month—despite holding a valid work permit issued by the Department of Homeland Security. He was legally employed as a sheet metal apprentice in Maryland while pursuing a journeyman license. His wife is a U.S. citizen. Notably, Abrego Garcia was never charged with or convicted of any crime.

The judge found that federal authorities had no legal authority to arrest, detain, or deport him, especially in light of a 2019 immigration court ruling explicitly barring his removal to El Salvador due to the credible threat of gang-related persecution. Nonetheless, immigration agents sent him to one of the most dangerous prisons in the Western Hemisphere—despite scant evidence tying him to MS-13. The judge described the government’s accusations as “vague” and “uncorroborated.”

Further inflaming the court’s criticism was the government’s claim that it could not be compelled to bring Abrego Garcia back because he was no longer in U.S. custody—a position the judge harshly criticized as legally baseless and morally untenable.

The Justice Department has since asked the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to stay the ruling. As legal proceedings unfold, the case has drawn national attention for its sharp spotlight on immigration enforcement tactics and due process under past administrations.

Source: NBC News