Abrego Garcia lawyers ask US judge to order return to Maryland amid ongoing criminal case
Lawyers representing Salvadorian migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia have taken urgent action by filing an emergency motion on Thursday, seeking his return to Maryland and blocking ICE officials from deporting him while his criminal case in Tennessee continues. The legal team urged U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis to order Abrego Garcia’s immediate return to Maryland upon his release from confinement in Tennessee and to prevent the Trump administration from moving him outside the U.S. or Maryland before his criminal trial.
This latest development is part of a lengthy legal battle over the wrongful deportation of Abrego Garcia. He was deported in March, sparking a court fight to secure his return to the U.S. despite federal court and Supreme Court orders. After months of delay and threats of contempt proceedings, the government complied and brought him back to face federal charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop.
The emergency motion filed by Abrego Garcia’s lawyers clarified that they are not seeking to litigate his criminal case in Tennessee but rather ensure his return to Maryland following his release from custody. This comes after a federal magistrate judge in Tennessee ordered his release pending trial, stating that the government failed to prove he was a flight risk or a danger to obstruct justice.
The legal team also requested sanctions be imposed on the Trump administration for violating discovery obligations in the civil case. They urged the court to compel the administration to provide withheld information and investigate the extent of noncompliance. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has pushed for the dismissal of the civil case, claiming it is now moot since Abrego Garcia is back on U.S. soil.
The ongoing legal battle has become a focal point in the debate over President Trump’s immigration policies. The administration has vowed to place Abrego Garcia in ICE detention if released from federal custody in Tennessee. His lawyers emphasized the need for urgent action to keep him in the U.S. and Maryland, warning that the government could move him elsewhere if the court does not intervene promptly.
Breanne Deppisch, a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital, is closely following this case and will continue to provide updates as it unfolds. The fight for justice for Kilmar Abrego Garcia continues as his legal team works tirelessly to ensure his rights are protected and his return to Maryland is secured.
