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Federal Judge Rules Kilmar Abrego Garcia Should Be Freed from Criminal Detention

HeadlineJul 24, 2025

A federal judge in Tennessee ruled Wednesday that Kilmar Abrego Garcia should be freed from criminal detention while awaiting trial on what advocates say are trumped-up federal human smuggling charges. However, Abrego Garcia will remain behind bars for at least 30 more days, at the request of his lawyers, who fear the Trump administration might seek to quickly remove him from the U.S. once he’s released.

Separately, a federal judge ordered that Abrego García should be returned to his home state of Maryland, where he would be granted at least three days’ advance notice of any attempt to deport him again. The Trump administration has admitted it wrongfully sent Abrego Garcia to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison in March, where his attorneys say he was brutally beaten and tortured.

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