🔗 Share this article Federal Judge Orders Release of Abrego Garcia from ICE Detention A federal judge has ordered the immediate discharge of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration custody, finding his continued detainment is without legal authority. "Since his return from wrongful detention in El Salvador, he has been re-detained, again without legal justification," Judge Paula Xinis wrote in her order. The case originates in a erroneous removal to El Salvador in March, which the government later admitted was an error. Following his return to the United States to answer human smuggling allegations, he was detained in federal detention. In her decision, the court noted that the government does not have a current removal order, which effectively blocks them from deporting Mr. Abrego Garcia "for now." Context of the Legal Challenge The court proceedings center on conflicting assertions. Whereas the former administration argues that Abrego Garcia is a affiliate of the MS-13 criminal organization, he vehemently disputes this claim. He has also entered a not guilty plea to the smuggling counts, which are part of a ongoing trial in the state of Tennessee. Conditions of Freedom The judge, who was hearing his petition to removal in a federal court, determined that he must now comply with the terms of his bond from jail in Tennessee. This order effectively transfers his supervision to the jurisdiction handling his criminal case. This decision represents a significant turn in a complicated legal case involving allegations of wrongful detention and contested criminal associations.