Kilmar Ábrego García walked out of an immigration detention center in Pennsylvania on Thursday after a federal judge in Maryland ordered his “immediate” release. The Associated Press reported that he left the facility before 5 pm local time and plans to return to Maryland, the state where he has lived for many years.
His lawyers confirmed the release. They said he still does not know what the next steps will be but is prepared to continue fighting any future deportation attempts. The judge’s order came in response to a habeas petition from Ábrego and his legal team, who argued that the government had no authority to detain him because there was no final deportation order.
The decision marks a major legal victory for Ábrego. His earlier wrongful deportation to a high-security prison in El Salvador had sparked widespread criticism and renewed debate over the Trump administration’s strict immigration enforcement.
Government Pushes Back Against Court Order
After the ruling, the Department of Homeland Security strongly opposed the judge’s decision. The agency announced it would appeal and described the order as “naked judicial activism”.
A Case at the Center of US Immigration Politics
Ábrego’s case has become a symbol of the political clash over Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and large-scale deportation plans. Ábrego, a Salvadorian construction worker who lived in Maryland, has been the target of a sustained public relations campaign by Trump officials. They have repeatedly referred to him as a member of the MS-13 gang.
However, he has never been convicted of the crimes he has been accused of. While in the El Salvador prison, Ábrego has said he suffered beatings, sleep deprivation and psychological torture.
In her Thursday order, US District Judge Paula Xinis wrote: “Since Ábrego García’s wrongful detention in El Salvador, he has been redetained, again without lawful authority.” She made it clear that the government cannot legally deport Ábrego because there is no valid removal order.
Attempts to Deport Him to Other Countries
Earlier this month, federal prosecutors asked the Maryland judge to lift restrictions on sending Ábrego to Liberia. According to the government, Liberia had guaranteed he would not face persecution or torture if deported there.
Ábrego’s mistaken deportation in March to an El Salvador mega-prison triggered a high-profile legal battle over his return. His case became a key example of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration tactics. Government attorneys later admitted that his removal was caused by a procedural error.
Court Rulings and Return to the US
Multiple federal judges, along with a unanimous Supreme Court, ruled that the Trump administration must bring Ábrego back to the United States. They determined his arrest was “illegal”. He returned in June to face human smuggling charges in Tennessee, where he entered a not guilty plea.
Since then, the administration has attempted to send him to several other countries, including Ghana, Liberia and Uganda. However, those plans have stalled amid continued legal challenges.