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Kilmar Abrego Garcia was born in El Salvador and entered the US illegally. He was arrested for loitering outside a Home Depot and accused of being a member of MS-13 by a confidential informant. Garcia requested asylum and was granted a "witholding of removal" order that prevented the US government from deporting him to El Salvador.

The order was still in effect when Garcia was arrested by ICE agents on March 12, 2025. He was moved from Maryland to Texas and then deported to El Salvador.

The government later admitted that the deportation of Garcia was an "administrative error", but also commented that US courts lack the jurisdiction to order his return.

References

• What we know about Kilmar Abrego Garcia and MS-13 allegations (bbc.com)
• An ‘Administrative Error’ Sends a Maryland Father to a Salvadoran Prison (theatlantic.com)