Kilmar Abrego Garcia Released from Tennessee Custody, Heads to Maryland Amid Legal Battle

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran migrant at the center of a high-profile wrongful deportation case, has been released from criminal custody in Tennessee. An attorney for Abrego Garcia confirmed his release on Friday, August 22, stating he is now en route to Maryland to reunite with his family.

Abrego Garcia had been held in criminal custody since June 2025, when he was brought back to the U.S. to face human smuggling charges. His release follows a federal judge’s order in July that mandated his return to Maryland and blocked any further deportation upon his release from Tennessee. His legal team confirmed earlier this week that they had arranged private security for his transport to Maryland.

While his attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, expressed relief at the reunion with family, he emphasized that Abrego Garcia is “far from safe,” citing ongoing threats of ICE detention or deportation. Under the conditions of his release, Abrego Garcia must reside with his brother in Maryland and report to Pretrial Services by Monday, August 25. The conditions also include submitting to supervision, actively seeking employment, not obtaining international travel documents, and undergoing anger management treatment. He is also prohibited from contacting known MS-13 gang members.

The release has drawn criticism, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Friday condemning the decision by “activist liberal judges” and alleging Abrego Garcia is an “MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator” — claims his family and attorneys deny.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis’s July order, which placed Abrego Garcia under ICE supervision in Maryland, aims to provide “effective relief” for a wrongfully removed alien. Abrego Garcia was initially deported in March 2025 to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison despite a 2019 court order, after the Trump administration accused him of MS-13 affiliation. He has pleaded not guilty to the human smuggling charges, which his attorneys have moved to dismiss, alleging “vindictive and selective prosecution.” His trial is scheduled for January 27, 2027.

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