US will try to deport Abrego Garcia before his trial, prosecutor says

GREENBELT, Md. – The U.S. authorities would initiate deportation proceedings against Kilmar Abrego Garcia if he's released from jailhouse earlier helium stands proceedings connected quality smuggling charges successful Tennessee, a Justice Department lawyer told a national justice successful Maryland connected Monday.

The disclosure by U.S. lawyer Jonathan Guynn contradicts statements by spokespeople for the Justice Department and the White House, who said past period that Abrego Garcia would basal proceedings and perchance walk clip successful an American situation earlier the authorities moves to deport him.

Guynn made the revelation during a national tribunal proceeding successful Maryland, wherever Abrego Garcia's lawyers person expressed concerns that helium would beryllium denied owed process erstwhile much by the Trump medication earlier it apt tries to expel him again from the U.S.

Guynn said that U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement would detain Abrego Garcia erstwhile he's released from jailhouse successful Tennessee and nonstop him to a “third country” that isn't his autochthonal El Salvador. However, Guynn said helium didn't cognize which state that would be.

Abrego Garcia became a flashpoint implicit President Donald Trump’s migration policies erstwhile helium was deported successful March to a notorious megaprison successful his autochthonal El Salvador. The Trump medication violated a U.S. migration judge’s bid successful 2019 that shielded Abrego Garcia from deportation to El Salvador due to the fact that helium apt faced persecution determination by section gangs that terrorized his family.

Facing expanding unit and a Supreme Court order, the Trump medication returned Abrego Garcia to the United States past period to look national quality smuggling charges. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys person characterized the lawsuit arsenic “preposterous” and an effort to warrant his erroneous deportation.

A national justice successful Nashville was preparing to merchandise Abrego Garcia to await trial. But she agreed past week to support Abrego Garcia down bars astatine the petition of his ain attorneys. They had raised concerns the U.S. would effort to instantly deport him, portion citing what they accidental were “contradictory statements” by the Trump administration.

For example, Guynn had told U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis successful Maryland connected June 26 that the U.S. authorities planned to deport Abrego Garcia to a “third country” that isn’t El Salvador. But helium said determination was nary timeline for the deportation plans.

Later that day, DOJ spokesperson Chad Gilmartin told The Associated Press that the Justice Department intends to effort Abrego Garcia connected the smuggling charges earlier it moves to deport him.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson posted connected X that time that Abrego Garcia "will look the afloat unit of the American justness strategy — including serving clip successful American situation for the crimes he’s committed.”

Abrego Garcia's attorneys person asked Xinis to bid the authorities to instrumentality Abrego Garcia to Maryland upon merchandise from jailhouse successful Tennessee, an statement that would forestall his deportation earlier trial. Abrego Garcia lived successful Maryland extracurricular of Washington for much than a decade, moving operation and raising a household with his American wife.

Xinis is inactive considering his lawyers' petition to nonstop him to Maryland if he's released. Meanwhile, Xinis ruled Monday that the suit against the Trump medication implicit Abrego Garcia's mistaken deportation tin continue.

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Finley reported from Norfolk, Virginia.

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