A man from Maryland, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador earlier this year, has now been brought back to the United States to face federal charges. Despite a court order that blocked his deportation due to fears for his safety, he was removed from the country in March 2025 and held in a harsh prison in El Salvador before being transferred to another facility.

Garcia is now facing charges in Tennessee for allegedly being involved in a conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants for profit. Authorities claim that he and others were part of a network that helped smuggle thousands of migrants into the U.S., some of whom were reportedly connected to gangs. Garcia and his family strongly deny these claims, saying he had actually fled gang violence in El Salvador and was seeking safety in the U.S.

Initially, U.S. officials called his deportation an administrative mistake, but it led to a major clash between the federal government and the courts. A judge had ordered Garcia’s return, and after resistance from the administration, he was finally allowed back into the country.

Garcia had arrived in the U.S. as a teenager in 2012 and was detained seven years later. His legal team argues that the charges are politically motivated and lack evidence. The incident has raised serious concerns about how immigration enforcement is handled and whether people’s legal rights are being respected.