A federal judge in Maryland Monday denied the Justice Department's request to pause Kilmar Abrego Garcia's immigration case due to the government shutdown.

Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national, was mistakenly deported to his home country in March, and was later returned to the U.S. to face federal human smuggling charges.

The judge on Monday also called for an evidentiary hearing to be held on Friday, Oct. 10, asking for government lawyers to present evidence on what discussions have taken place about Abrego Garcia's removal to the African country of Eswatini.

WJZ has reached out to the Justice Department for a statement and is awaiting a response.

Abrego Garcia's lawyers to request his release

At the next hearing, Abrego Garcia's attorneys said they will request his immediate r

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