Bye, Bye, Kilmar Abrego-Garcia

We don’t yet know the timeline, but the Trump administration appears to be planning to use the power the Supreme Court just acknowledged to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a third-party country. 

🚨 #BREAKING: ICE will be removing Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a third party country after an activist judge tries to put him on the streets of America, per Politico

DHS promised he’ll never be free in America again, so he’s going to end up in a South Sudanese prison or somewhere… pic.twitter.com/28ciFeF52x

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 26, 2025

As you may recall, two major legal issues were being argued about Abrego Garcia’s deportation to El Salvador; the one, of course, was the “due process” argument, and the other was the fact that while he had been ordered deported, he was not to be deported to El Salvador due to his claimed fear for his life. 

Well, the Trump administration can give him a pro forma hearing and can now legally deport him to any country other than El Salvador, and that is what they plan to do. 

Lawyers urged a Maryland judge to keep Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia in U.S. custody, citing Trump admin threats to deport him. https://t.co/cAgTRdoxVX

— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 26, 2025

Abrego Garcia’s lawyers are scrambling to get the judge in his case to stop the deportation. 

Lawyers for Salvadorian migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia filed an emergency motion Thursday asking a federal judge to order their client’s return to Maryland, and to block ICE officials from deporting him while his criminal case in Tennessee continues to play out.

In an emergency filing, lawyers for Abrego Garcia urged U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis to order their client’s return to the District of Maryland “immediately upon his release from confinement” in the Middle District of Tennessee, and for the judge to order the Trump administration to refrain from moving their client outside the U.S., or the District of Maryland, ahead of his criminal trial in Tennessee.

It’s the latest move in a months-long legal fight over the status of the wrongfully deported Salvadorian migrant. 

I’m sorry, but that is funny. “Maryland man” may not remain in the US for long. Or, he may. It depends on the results of his legal proceedings in Tennessee, but in the best case for Abrego Garcia he wins that case and gets deported to some place other than El Salvador. 

Live re Abrego Garcia hearing:

Will take into ICE custody when released from criminal custody in Tenn.

Not going to remove to El Salvador.

Will be initiating removal proceedings to Third Country.

No timeline. No imminent plans.

But intention other than to go through…

— Shipwreckedcrew (@shipwreckedcrew) June 26, 2025

Abrego Garcia may be gone well before that case goes to trial, though. It all depends on what the court orders and appeals decide the issue. The deportation will not be immediate. 

BREAKING: Prosecutors tell a judge that the U.S. plans to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a country other than El Salvador after his release from a Tennessee jail. https://t.co/obqj8b3hcq

— The Associated Press (@AP) June 26, 2025

Federal prosecutors told a judge in Maryland on Thursday that the government plans to initiate removal proceedings against Kilmar Abrego Garcia and to deport him to a country that is not his native El Salvador upon his release from a Tennessee jail.

But the prosecutors also said that they would comply with all court orders and that their plans are not imminent.

Attorneys for Abrego Garcia earlier asked the judge in Maryland to order his return to that state when he is released from jail, an arrangement that would prevent likely attempts by immigration officials to quickly deport Abrego Garcia.

No matter what happens, of course, Abrego Garcia won’t wind up in that infamous jail in El Salvador. He’s got that going for him, if not much else.