US will try to deport Abrego Garcia before his trial, prosecutor says

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and BEN FINLEY GREENBELT Md AP The U S leadership would initiate deportation proceedings against Kilmar Abrego Garcia if he s circulated from jail before he stands trial on human smuggling charges in Tennessee a Justice Department attorney narrated a federal judge in Maryland on Monday The disclosure by U S lawyer Jonathan Guynn contradicts statements by spokespeople for the Justice Department and the White House who revealed last month that Abrego Garcia would stand trial and possibly spend time in an American prison before the regime moves to deport him Guynn made the revelation during a federal court hearing in Maryland where Abrego Garcia s lawyers have expressed concerns that he would be denied due process once more by the Trump administration before it likely tries to expel him again from the U S Guynn announced that U S Immigrations and Customs Enforcement would detain Abrego Garcia once he s distributed from jail in Tennessee and send him to a third country that isn t his native El Salvador However Guynn noted he didn t know which country that would be Jennifer Vasquez Sura center the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia arrives at the U S District Court in Greenbelt Md Monday July AP Photo Mark Schiefelbein Supporters of Kilmar Abrego Garcia rally outside of the U S District Court in Greenbelt Md where a hearing was scheduled to be held on returning him to Maryland Monday July AP Photo Mark Schiefelbein Jennifer Vasquez Sura center the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia joins supporters of Abrego Garcia as they rally outside of the U S District Court in Greenbelt Md where a hearing was scheduled to be held on returning him to Maryland Monday July AP Photo Mark Schiefelbein Supporters of Kilmar Abrego Garcia rally outside of the U S District Court in Greenbelt Md where a hearing was scheduled to be held on returning him to Maryland Monday July AP Photo Mark Schiefelbein Show Caption of Jennifer Vasquez Sura center the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia arrives at the U S District Court in Greenbelt Md Monday July AP Photo Mark Schiefelbein Expand Abrego Garcia became a flashpoint over President Donald Trump s immigration policies when he was deported in March to a notorious megaprison in his native El Salvador The Trump administration violated a U S immigration judge s order in that shielded Abrego Garcia from deportation to El Salvador because he likely faced persecution there by local gangs that terrorized his family Facing increasing pressure and a Supreme Court order the Trump administration returned Abrego Garcia to the United States last month to face federal human smuggling charges Abrego Garcia s attorneys have characterized the scenario as preposterous and an attempt to justify his erroneous deportation A federal judge in Nashville was preparing to release Abrego Garcia to await trial But she agreed last week to keep Abrego Garcia behind bars at the request of his own attorneys They had raised concerns the U S would try to this instant deport him while citing what they say were contradictory statements by the Trump administration For example Guynn had recounted U S District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland on June that the U S governing body planned to deport Abrego Garcia to a third country that isn t El Salvador But he reported there was no timeline for the deportation plans Related Articles Debate erupts over role job cuts played in weather forecasts ahead of deadly Texas floods Doctors and community wellness organizations sue Kennedy over vaccine strategy changes Epstein client list doesn t exist Justice Department says walking back theory Bondi had promoted Wegovy and Zepbound prices fall but access to the obesity drugs still isn t guaranteed Man killed after shooting at a US Territory line Patrol facility in southern Texas Later that day DOJ spokesperson Chad Gilmartin recounted The Associated Press that the Justice Department intends to try Abrego Garcia on the smuggling charges before it moves to deport him White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson posted on X that day that Abrego Garcia will face the full force of the American justice system including serving time in American prison for the crimes he s committed Abrego Garcia s attorneys have sought Xinis to order the leadership to take Abrego Garcia to Maryland upon release from jail in Tennessee an arrangement that would prevent his deportation before trial Abrego Garcia lived in Maryland outside of Washington for more than a decade working construction and raising a family with his American wife Xinis is still considering his lawyers request to send him to Maryland if he s circulated Meanwhile Xinis ruled Monday that the lawsuit against the Trump administration over Abrego Garcia s mistaken deportation can continue Finley announced from Norfolk Virginia