Image Credit: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement & Lee Roberts / X
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it would likely deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a suspected MS-13 gang member and human smuggler, to a country other than his home nation of El Salvador should he be released from a Tennessee jail prior to his federal trial.
Garcia was previously deported to El Salvador, but was returned to the U.S. in March to face federal charges of unlawfully transporting illegal aliens for profit after a grand jury indicted him for being a full-time smuggler over the past nine years.
Federal prosecutors asked that Garcia remain in federal custody until his trial as the Justice Department believes him to be a flight risk and danger to the community should he be released, but a Federal Magistrate Judge denied the government’s petition, claiming Garcia is “entitled” to “full due process” and that the government did not provide enough evidence that he would be a safety or flight risk.
Prosecutors have filed an appeal of the ruling, but it is not set to be heard until July 16. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also announced that should Garcia be released from federal custody the agency would immediately detain and possibly deport him, a factor which caused the magistrate to keep Garcia in custody until at least Friday, June
27. Now, the DHS has announced they will likely deport Garcia to a “third country” besides his native El Salvador should he be released, as a recent Supreme Court ruling upheld the Trump administration’s ability to deport certain illegals to third party countries in its effort to expedite mass deportations.
The department has not revealed if it has intentions to initiate deportation proceedings before the start of Garcia’s trial, for which a date has yet to be set, and stated there is “no timeline for these specific proceedings,” while committing to complying with all court orders.
Jonathan Guynn, deputy assistant attorney general at the DOJ’s civil division, told the court on Thursday, “Our plan is that he will be taken into ICE custody and removal proceedings will be initiated.”
Garcia’s attorneys have filed an emergency request to have Garcia immediately transferred back to Maryland after release in Tennessee, a process which would prevent deportation before his trial.
They claimed that the government may try to, “remove Mr. Abrego Garcia quickly over the weekend, something like that,” during a conference call with U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Xinis says she must first consider the Trump administration’s pending motions to dismiss the case before ruling on Garcia’s emergency request and has scheduled a July 7 court hearing to discuss the request and other matters.
It is still unclear whether Garcia is to be released from federal custody over the weekend or if he will be sent to Maryland to avoid ICE detainment.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
