A federal judge in Maryland has ordered the immediate release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, saying that immigration officials held him without lawful authority. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ruled Thursday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) must free him while his deportation case continues.

Abrego Garcia, a native of El Salvador, has lived in Maryland for years with his wife and child. He was deported earlier this year to El Salvador, where he was held in a mega-prison despite a 2019 court order blocking his removal because of fears he would face persecution. He was later returned to the U.S. to face human smuggling charges in Tennessee.

Judge Xinis said ICE failed to produce a final removal order , which is required for deportation. Without that document, the government

See Full Page