Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia was arrested Monday morning by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after he arrived for a scheduled check-in at the agency’s field office in Baltimore, Maryland. According to his legal team, officials are now preparing to deport him to a third country—potentially Uganda.
Legal Team Left in the Dark
Abrego Garcia’s attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, spoke to reporters outside the ICE facility shortly after the arrest, claiming that officials refused to explain why Garcia was being detained or where he would be held. No documentation was provided to his legal team regarding his removal.
“As of the last five minutes, Mr. Abrego Garcia has filed a new lawsuit in the federal district court for the District of Maryland challenging his confinement and challenging his deportation to Uganda—or any other country—unless and until he’s had a fair trial,” Sandoval-Moshenberg said.
That habeas petition was assigned to U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, who had previously issued an order barring ICE from arresting Garcia before Monday. Xinis has been presiding over Garcia’s civil case and had already spent months grilling Department of Homeland Security officials over the legality of his removal and current detention status.
Supporters, Faith Leaders Hold Vigil
Before sunrise Monday, nearly 200 people—including immigration activists, religious leaders, and family members—gathered outside the Baltimore field office to show solidarity with Garcia. Many held candles in a vigil and prayed over him and his wife before he entered the building. Tears were visible across the group as they said goodbye.
DHS Secretary Noem Responds Swiftly
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly celebrated Garcia’s arrest, calling it a victory for public safety and reiterating that President Donald Trump will not allow MS-13 members to “terrorize American citizens any longer.”
Garcia has been at the center of a political firestorm since his controversial 2023 deportation to El Salvador by the Trump administration—an action that violated a 2019 court order. After a federal judge and the U.S. Supreme Court ordered his return to the U.S., he was brought back months later and charged with human smuggling.
ICE Moves Forward With Uganda Deportation Plan
Last Friday, Garcia was released from federal detention and placed under ICE supervision in Maryland while awaiting trial. But just hours later, ICE notified his legal team that the department intended to remove him to Uganda—an East African country that recently signed an agreement with the Trump administration to accept third-country deportees.
In a letter from ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Adviser, the agency stated that Garcia could be deported “to Uganda no earlier than 72 hours from now (absent weekends).”
Trump Border Czar Confirms Deportation
Trump’s top immigration adviser Tom Homan confirmed in a Fox News interview Sunday night that Garcia would be deported. “He is absolutely going to be deported,” Homan said, noting that Uganda remains “on the table.”
“For the person who says we’re not going to separate families,” Homan added, “his family can go with him—because he’s leaving.”
Background on the Smuggling Case
Garcia was originally arrested after a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee. Law enforcement discovered nine passengers in his vehicle, including multiple illegal aliens and an unaccompanied 15-year-old boy who remains unaccounted for. He now faces up to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to transport aliens and additional charges for each person he allegedly smuggled.
Garcia’s case has been championed by left-wing media and Democrats, who once referred to him as a “Maryland man” and portrayed him as a wrongfully deported family man. However, federal authorities allege Garcia is an MS-13 gang member involved in human trafficking and illegal alien smuggling.
His final destination remains uncertain, but the Trump administration has made clear: deportation is back on the table—and moving fast.
The post ICE Arrests Abrego Garcia at Maryland Check-In, Lawyer Says Deportation to Uganda Imminent appeared first on Real News Now.
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