Federal prosecutors told a judge on Thursday that the government plans to initiate removal proceedings against Kilmar Abrego Garcia and to deport him to a country that is not El Salvador upon his release from a Tennessee jail.
But the prosecutors also said that they would comply with all court orders and that their plans are not imminent.
Attorneys for Abrego Garcia earlier asked a federal judge in Maryland to order his return to that state when he is released from jail in Tennessee, an arrangement that would prevent likely attempts by immigration officials to quickly deport Abrego Garcia.
The Maryland construction worker became a flashpoint over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies after he was mistakenly deported to his native El Salvador in March. He’s been in jail in Tennessee since he was returned to the U.S. on June 7 to face federal charges of human smuggling.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes in Nashville has ruled that Abrego Garcia has a right to be released while awaiting trial. But she decided Wednesday to keep him in custody for at least a few more days over concerns that U.S. immigration officials would swiftly try to deport him again.
