Kilmar Abrego Garcia (C) departs the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Baltimore Field Office the day after a federal judge ordered his release from detention in Pennsylvania in Baltimore, Md., on Dec. 12, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
A federal judge in Tennessee on May 22 dismissed criminal human smuggling charges pending against Kilmar Abrego Garcia on the grounds of vindictive prosecution.
The Salvadoran national’s separate immigration case attracted attention across the country, including widespread protests, after the federal government detained him in March 2025 and transported him to El Salvador’s maximum security prison, the Terrorism Confinement Center, along with an airplane full of other deportees. He was later returned to the United States, where he has had long-running legal battles with the Trump administration.
We had a problem loading this article. Please enable javascript or use a different browser. If the issue persists, please visit our help center.