Pressure Mounts for Return of Deported Maryland Father
- Alayna Delice
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
A Maryland father legally protected from deportation was mistakenly removed from the United States last month and is now imprisoned in El Salvador, sparking widespread condemnation from lawmakers, labor leaders and immigrant advocates.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, was deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March, despite a 2019 court ruling granting him "withholding of removal" due to credible threats to his life if returned home. The Biden administration called the deportation an “administrative error,” but efforts to bring him back have stalled. He is currently held at El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, a prison known for alleged human rights abuses.
Lawmakers demand action
Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus held a press conference Friday, urging swift action to secure Abrego Garcia’s release.
“This is not just a mistake — it is a violation of human rights,” said Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif., chair of the caucus. “This administration has both the legal and moral responsibility to bring him home.”
Lawmakers are pushing for an investigation into how ICE failed to honor the court order and why Abrego Garcia’s legal counsel was not notified before his removal.
Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., said the case reveals systemic failures in immigration enforcement. “No family should have to endure this,” he said.
Legal protections disregarded
Abrego Garcia came to the United States in 2011 as a teenager fleeing gang violence. He later settled in Prince George’s County, Maryland, with his wife, a U.S. citizen, and their 5-year-old son, who has autism and a hearing impairment. He worked legally as a labor apprentice with the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers Local 100.
His attorney, Nick Katz of CASA de Maryland, said Abrego Garcia was detained without warning March 12 and deported three days later, despite documentation confirming his legal status.
“This was a flagrant violation of due process,” Katz said.
Court orders and resistance
On April 4, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered the Department of Homeland Security to "facilitate and effectuate" Abrego Garcia’s return. The Supreme Court upheld the order April 10.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing for the majority, warned that failing to correct such deportations could “set a dangerous precedent," enabling the executive branch to evade judicial review through swift action.
However, the Trump administration, which returned to office earlier this year, has argued it is not legally required to retrieve him. In court filings, the Department of Justice said the U.S. cannot compel El Salvador to release him and claimed courts lack jurisdiction.
Judge Xinis has ordered the administration to provide daily updates on its efforts.
Family faces hardship
In Maryland, Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, is now raising their son alone.
“He’s never been a danger to anyone,” she said. “He was working, raising our son and doing everything right.”
Vasquez Sura also rejected administration claims that Abrego Garcia is linked to MS-13. No evidence has been presented in court, and Abrego Garcia has no criminal record in the United States.
Michael Coleman, general president of SMART, called the deportation “a betrayal of American values."
“Brother Kilmar was helping build this country," Coleman said. "This is what he gets in return?"
Potential impact on immigration law
Legal experts say the case could have broad implications for immigration law and executive authority.
“This is about whether the government can make a mistake this big and simply walk away,” said Elizabeth Keyes, an immigration law professor at the University of Baltimore. “If the courts can’t enforce a remedy, what kind of rule of law do we have?”
As the legal fight continues and members of Congress demand answers, Abrego Garcia’s family waits, hoping he will be allowed to return before it is too late.
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