The Trump administration is moving to deport Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego a second time, though not back to El Salvador, where he was erroneously deported in March. A Justice Department attorney confirmed that Abrego will remain in the U.S. until he stands trial on federal migrant smuggling charges.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated that Abrego "will face the full force of the American justice system," emphasizing that he will serve prison time if convicted. However, Abrego’s defense lawyer, Sean Hecker, criticized the administration’s mixed messages, saying there is no clarity on his client's legal or immigration status.
At a federal court hearing in Maryland, Justice Department lawyer Jonathan Guynn noted that while deportation is not imminent, Abrego will eventually be sent to a third country—not El Salvador—following his trial. That country has not been named.
Abrego, 29, lived in Maryland with his U.S. citizen wife and young son before being wrongly deported to El Salvador despite a 2019 ruling prohibiting his removal due to threats of persecution. He was brought back to the U.S. earlier this month to face smuggling charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
A Maryland federal judge may release Abrego ahead of trial as soon as Friday, but the administration has said it will immediately transfer him to immigration custody. His legal team has requested that he remain in Maryland during proceedings and not be deported until the criminal case concludes.
The case has become a focal point in debates over Trump’s strict immigration policies. Federal courts in both Maryland and Tennessee, where the criminal case was filed, have yet to decide on Abrego’s legal motions.