Kilmar Abrego Garcia entered the news in March 2025 after he was deported to El Salvador despite a court ruling that should have prevented it. His complicated legal fight since then has galvanized both sides of the debate over President Donald Trump's immigration policies .

There is a civil case in Maryland where the 30-year-old is challenging the Department of Homeland Security's attempts to deport him again. There is also a criminal case in Tennessee, where the government accuses him of human smuggling. Finally, there is a petition in immigration court, where he hopes to pursue an asylum claim.

Here is a timeline of key events:

Arrival: around 2011

Abrego Garcia flees El Salvador for the U.S. as a teenager.

Arrest: March 28, 2019

Abrego Garcia is arrested outside a Maryland hardw

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