Alleged MS-13 gang member and accused human smuggler Kilmar Abrego Garcia was released Friday, August 22, from a Tennessee jail and returned to his family in Maryland — but could be deported to Uganda as early as this weekend, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ordering him to check in Monday.
Abrego Garcia, 30, had been held at Putnam County Jail in Cookeville since June, after the Trump administration arranged for his return from El Salvador to face human smuggling charges.
US Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes granted his release under strict conditions. He must wear an ankle monitor, remain under home detention at his brother’s Maryland residence, and report to ICE’s Baltimore office for supervision. He is permitted to leave only for work, religious services, or approved activities.
“While his release brings some relief, we all know that he is far from safe,” attorney Simon Sandoval-Mohensberg said, according to NBC News. “ICE detention or deportation to an unknown third country still threatens to tear his family apart.”
Abrego Garcia, a father of three, said in a statement:
“Today has been a very special day because I have seen my family for the first time in more than 160 days… We are steps closer to justice, but justice has not been fully served.”
Shortly after his release, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE informed his lawyers he could be deported to Uganda “no earlier than 72 hours from now,” sources told Fox News. He is required to report to ICE Baltimore at 8 a.m. Monday for an interview.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem sharply criticized the ruling, calling it “a new low.”
“By ordering this monster loose on America’s streets, the judge has shown a complete disregard for the safety of the American people,” she wrote on X.
Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador in March under President Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act but was brought back due to what officials called an “administrative error.” Authorities have claimed he is a “confirmed… ranking member of the MS-13 gang by a proven and reliable source,” though Abrego Garcia denies any gang affiliation.
The human smuggling allegations stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee, where he was pulled over with eight passengers but no luggage. He was not charged at the time.
Abrego Garcia has also faced accusations of physically abusing his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, a U.S. citizen who has nonetheless advocated for his return.
A White House spokesperson condemned the court decision:
“Abrego Garcia is a criminal illegal alien, wife-beater, and an MS-13 gang member facing serious charges of human smuggling,” Abigail Jackson said. “He will face justice for his crimes. It’s an insult to his victims that this left-wing magistrate intervened to put him back on the streets.”
