He was labelled a terrorist and alleged gang member, despite having no criminal convictions, and deported to El Salvador. But his lawyers argue the claims were made based on his clothing and an unnamed informant.
The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was accidentally deported from the US because of an «administrative error», has become a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s aggressive anti-immigration efforts.
Labelled a terrorist and alleged gang member, claims denied by him and his lawyers, he was temporarily removed to El Salvador earlier this year and now faces yet another deportation order.
The case symbolises Donald Trump’s hardline immigration agenda. He has signed executive orders ending birthright citizenship and declaring a national emergency at the southern border.
Mass deportations, immigration raids and arrests have increased, sparking protests. But officials have said Garcia’s case shows the administration’s resolve.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Why Trump says he is a gang member
Court documents show Garcia entered the US illegally from El Salvador in 2012, when he was 16 — neither side disputes this.
Garcia claims the Barrio 18 street gang terrorised his family, so he travelled to Maryland, where his brother (a US citizen) lives. He found work in construction and in 2016 he married Jennifer Vasquez Sura, also a US citizen. They have one child together and another two from her previous relationship.
Three years later, he was arrested alongside three other men in the car park of a Home Depot in Maryland. Police said they were «loitering».
Garcia was wearing a Chicago Bulls hat, a hoodie, and an unnamed informant identified him. The clothing, police said, «represents that [he is] a member in good standing with MS-13», while the informant confirmed his membership of the gang with the «westerns clique».
