TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Aug 25, 2025

Kilmar Abrego Garcia was taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody at an immigration appointment in Baltimore, Bloomberg Law reports. The arrest came less than 72 hours after a Tennessee federal judge overseeing his criminal case released him so he could return to his family in Maryland while awaiting trial. According to reports, Garcia’s legal team was not told where he is being sent, though the Trump administration has indicated it intends to deport him to Uganda. Today, a federal judge issued an order stating the administration is “absolutely forbidden” from removing him from the United States, The Hill reports. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis blocked deportation until she can hold a hearing to determine whether the administration will allow Abrego Garcia contest his removal to a third country. According to Bloomberg, Abrego Garcia's attorney Sean Hecker said his client is willing to be removed to Costa Rica, which has agreed to accept him as a refugee.