Kilmar Abrego Garcia, facing human smuggling charges in Tennessee, is at the center of a legal standoff over potential deportation. Although a judge ruled he could be released on bail and live with his family in Maryland, his attorneys filed an emergency motion to prevent his removal from the continental U.S., fearing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will deport him to a third country.

Abrego Garcia was previously deported to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison in defiance of a 2019 court order, but was later returned to the U.S. under Supreme Court mandate to face charges. The Department of Homeland Security now says it intends to initiate deportation proceedings again, though not necessarily to El Salvador. A federal judge in Maryland questioned the government’s lack of clarity on the timeline and destination. Meanwhile, a magistrate judge in Tennessee acknowledged she could not prevent ICE from acting, despite having no concerns about Abrego Garcia’s release or flight risk.