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 p...
