Returned deportee Kilmar Abrego faces court as fate in U.S. remains uncertain
Kilmar Abrego, a Salvadoran migrant who was mistakenly deported earlier this year, appeared in a Tennessee court on Wednesday in a migrant smuggling case, while uncertainty looms over whether he will remain in the United States or face deportation for a second time.
Federal prosecutors are urging U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw to overturn a magistrate judge’s decision granting Abrego bail, arguing he should remain in custody ahead of trial. Abrego, 29, has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging his role in a smuggling ring transporting migrants, including children, across the U.S.-Mexico border, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Even if Judge Crenshaw upholds the release order, the Trump administration says Abrego will be immediately detained by immigration authorities and subject to removal. Officials have provided conflicting statements on whether he will stand trial in the U.S. or be deported again.
Abrego’s case has become a flashpoint in President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown. Rights groups cite it as evidence of the administration’s disregard for court orders and due process. Abrego was wrongfully deported to El Salvador in March despite a 2019 court order barring his removal due to the risk of gang persecution. He was later returned to the U.S. after being indicted on smuggling charges.
Prosecutors allege Abrego is affiliated with the MS-13 gang, a claim his lawyers deny, arguing the charges are an attempt to “cover up violations” of his legal rights. They also contend that government witnesses are unreliable because they seek leniency in their own immigration and criminal cases.
The magistrate judge who approved bail last month ruled that prosecutors had not provided sufficient evidence to justify detention. On Wednesday, the government plans to call a Department of Homeland Security investigator to strengthen its appeal.
Meanwhile, in a separate civil lawsuit over the wrongful deportation, the Trump administration has indicated it may seek to deport Abrego to a third country—possibly Mexico or South Sudan—rather than El Salvador.
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