Accused MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia cannot be deported to Uganda until at least October, after a federal judge issued a new order on Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, an Obama appointee, set an evidentiary hearing for Oct. 6, CNN reported.
The ruling follows her earlier decision to pause the Trump administration’s plan to deport Abrego Garcia until he is given the chance to contest his removal.
Background on Deportation Dispute
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Abrego Garcia last week at its Maryland field office, just hours before Xinis’ initial pause took effect.
He had recently been released from a Tennessee jail after facing federal human smuggling charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop in which he was found driving with eight passengers and no luggage.
Earlier in June, the Trump administration had deported Abrego Garcia to El Salvador along with more than 260 suspected gang members under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which allowed rapid deportation without hearings. Officials later admitted his removal included an “administrative error.”
Disputed Plea Deal
Court filings indicate Abrego Garcia was also offered a deal: deportation to Costa Rica if he pleaded guilty to human smuggling. His legal team rejected the offer, claiming it was coercive.
“They’re holding Costa Rica as a carrot and using Uganda as a stick,” his lawyer Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg said outside ICE’s Baltimore office.
“They’re weaponizing the immigration system in a way that’s completely unconstitutional.”
What’s Next
Until the Oct. 6 hearing, Abrego Garcia remains in ICE custody as the legal fight continues over whether the administration can deport him to Uganda — a third country where he has no ties.
