Judge again delays Abrego Garcia's release from Tennessee jail over deportation concerns
Source: AP
Updated 4:06 PM EDT, June 30, 2025
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Kilmar Abrego Garcia will stay in jail for now over concerns from his lawyers that he could be deported if hes released to await his trial on human smuggling charges, a federal judge in Tennessee ruled Monday.
Abrego Garcias attorneys had asked the judge to delay his release because of what they described as contradictory statements by President Donald Trumps administration over what would happen to the Salvadoran national. The lawyers wrote in a brief to the court Friday that we cannot put any faith in any representation made on this issue by the Justice Department, adding that the irony of this request is not lost on anyone.
Justice Department spokesman Chad Gilmartin told The Associated Press on Thursday that the department intends to try Abrego Garcia on the smuggling charges before it moves to deport him, stating that Abrego Garcia has been charged with horrific crimes.
Hours earlier, Justice Department attorney Jonathan Guynn told a federal judge in Maryland that the U.S. government plans to deport Abrego Garcia to a third country that isnt El Salvador. Guynn said there was no timeline for the deportation plans. Abrego Garcias attorneys on Friday cited Guynns comments as a reason to fear he would be deported immediately.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/abrego-garcia-deportation-immigration-trump-a94b2d9101bb0da10e6998bead07b9c2