Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March, has returned to the United States to face federal criminal charges. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Friday (June 6) that Abrego Garcia is facing charges in the Middle District of Tennessee for conspiracy to unlawfully transport illegal aliens for financial gain and unlawful transportation of illegal aliens for financial gain.

The indictment, unsealed on Friday, accuses Abrego Garcia and others of knowingly transporting thousands of undocumented individuals, many of whom were allegedly MS-13 members and associates. Abrego Garcia and his family have denied these allegations, claiming he fled gang violence in El Salvador.

Abrego Garcia's deportation in March was due to an "administrative error," according to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official. He was held in a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador before being moved to another facility. The situation sparked a political standoff between the Trump administration and the federal judiciary, with a court order demanding his return to the US.

Despite the administration's initial reluctance, President Trump eventually facilitated Abrego Garcia's return. However, his future in the US remains uncertain. The administration may attempt to deport him to another country or challenge the 2019 court order that prohibited his removal to El Salvador due to fears of gang violence.

US District Judge Paula Xinis has allowed a fact-finding process to determine the government's compliance with her directive to bring Abrego Garcia back to the US. Abrego Garcia arrived in the United States in 2012 as a 16-year-old and was arrested seven years later. An immigration judge ruled in his favor, prohibiting his removal to El Salvador.

Lucy Chapman