Kilmar Abrego Garcia released from jail and reunited with family

August 22, 2025

Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran man mistakenly deported in March during Trump's immigration crackdown despite having protection from deportation, has been released from jail. After being held in El Salvador's Cecot prison, he was returned to the US in June and charged with human smuggling in Tennessee, to which he pleaded not guilty. His release allows him to reunite with his wife and two children in Maryland after more than 160 days of separation.

Who is affected

Kilmar Ábrego García
Ábrego García's family (wife and two children in Maryland)
American public (according to the Trump administration's statements about safety concerns)
Residents of Maryland (where Ábrego García plans to return)

What action is being taken

Ábrego García is being released from jail and returning to his family in Maryland
Ábrego García's attorneys are concerned he may be taken into custody again by immigration authorities
The Trump administration is actively opposing his release and working to have him removed from the country
A judge has ordered that the administration must give lawyers notice if they seek to deport Ábrego García

Why it matters

This case represents a direct challenge to the Trump administration's immigration policies
The administration mistakenly deported someone who had legal protection from deportation
It highlights tensions between judicial rulings and executive immigration enforcement
The case demonstrates the real human impact of deportation policies on families
It illustrates the controversy around criminal charges being brought against immigrants following deportation errors

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC