Federal Judge Orders Immediate Release from ICE Custody in Landmark Maryland Case

A federal judge in Maryland has ordered the immediate release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration detention. Judge Paula Xinis ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lacked lawful authority to continue holding him. The decision comes after a long legal battle involving a wrongful deportation.

The case highlights complex tensions within U.S. immigration enforcement. According to Associated Press reports, the Salvadoran national was mistakenly deported earlier this year despite a prior ruling protecting him.

A Saga of Wrongful Deportation and Return

Kilmar Abrego Garcia first entered the U.S. as a teenager. He later established a life in Maryland with an American wife and child. In 2019, an immigration judge blocked his deportation to El Salvador due to credible family threats from a gang.

Despite this protection, ICE deported him to El Salvador in March 2025. He was imprisoned there under harsh conditions. The U.S. Supreme Court subsequently ordered the government to bring him back in June.

Legal Complexities and Ongoing Battles

Since his return, ICE has sought to deport him to third countries like Liberia. A Maryland judge blocked those attempts in July. His lawyers argue the government’s actions are retaliatory for exposing its initial error.

Abrego Garcia’s situation involves three separate legal fronts. He is challenging his detention in Maryland, facing unrelated smuggling charges in Tennessee, and seeking to reopen his immigration case for asylum. A hearing on claims of vindictive prosecution in the Tennessee case was set for December.

The judge’s release order marks a pivotal moment in this high-profile ICE detention case. It underscores the legal limits of immigration enforcement authority. The broader implications for similar detention challenges remain to be seen.

Thought you’d like to know-

Why was Kilmar Abrego Garcia released from ICE custody?

A federal judge ruled ICE had no legal authority to detain him. The order cited his previous wrongful deportation and the lack of a lawful basis for his continued holding.

What was the Supreme Court’s role in this case?

In April 2025, the Supreme Court ordered the U.S. government to bring Abrego Garcia back from El Salvador. This followed his mistaken deportation in March of that year.

What legal challenges does Abrego Garcia still face?

He faces separate human smuggling charges in Tennessee. He is also petitioning to reopen his immigration case to pursue asylum in the United States.

Why does the government want to deport him to Africa?

ICE attempted deportation to countries like Liberia after a court blocked his removal to El Salvador. His lawyers call this a retaliatory effort to find any country that will accept him.

How long had Abrego Garcia been in the United States?

He entered the U.S. as a teenager around 2011. He lived in Maryland for years, building a family, before his initial immigration arrest in 2019.