Here’s Why The Trump Admin Says It Would Be Dangerous To Release Kilmar Abrego Garcia

NASHVILLE — The Justice Department argued Friday that releasing suspected gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia would pose a danger to the public because of his alleged history of violence toward his wife, sexual misconduct toward young girls, and participation in an illegal alien smuggling ring.

Abrego Garica, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who has been incorrectly dubbed a “Maryland man” by the legacy media, appeared in federal court in Nashville on Friday for his arraignment on human smuggling charges and a detention hearing. Wearing a bright red prison suit and listening to proceedings through interpreters, Abrego Garcia pled not guilty in front of a crowd of left-wing supporters who showed up to watch the case play out.

Abrego Garcia faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for one count of conspiracy to transport aliens and up to 10 years in prison for each illegal smuggled across the country if found guilty on another count of unlawful transportation of illegal aliens. He was returned to the United States last week after being deported to El Salvador due to suspected ties to MS-13.

After his not guilty plea, Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes heard arguments from the Justice Department and Abrego Garcia’s lawyers on whether or not to release him as his case is litigated. As court ended for the day, she said that she would not give a date for her decision, but that it would be “sooner rather than later.”

Acting United States Attorney for Middle Tennessee Robert McGuire argued that Abrego Garcia should be detained because he was a flight risk and would endanger the community based on testimony and evidence that he had endangered children through his alleged participation in a smuggling ring, ties to violent gangs, and the multiple complaints from his wife about domestic violence.

I’m at the federal courthouse in Nashville reporting for @realDailyWire on the arraignment of suspected MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Dozens of protesters are outside the building, holding signs like “fuck ICE” and other pro-illegal alien messages. pic.twitter.com/JAxpn3798j

— Leif Le Mahieu (@leif_lemahieu) June 13, 2025

The crux of the Justice Department’s case relies on a traffic stop in Putnam County, Tennessee, on November 30, 2022, when Abrego Garcia was pulled over driving a Chevrolet suburban with nine others inside. One of those individuals noted his age to be 15 when Tennessee Highway Patrol had each person write their name and age down on a sheet of paper.

Homeland Security special agent Peter Joseph said that the 15-year-old boy was unaccounted for to this day and that they hadn’t tracked him down yet, saying that “we don’t know right now” if he is OK. Joseph added that at least six of the nine individuals being transported have been identified as illegal aliens from a variety of countries including Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras.

Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!

Joseph also testified that Abrego Garcia lied to the Tennessee state troopers when he claimed that he was bringing a construction crew from St. Louis to Maryland. According to data gathered through license plate readers, Joseph said that the vehicle hadn’t been in St. Louis in the timeframe Abrego Garcia claimed and that there were no construction tools in the vehicle.

Abrego Garcia also had a history of sexual misconduct toward minors, multiple of his associates told Joseph. Additionally, Joseph said an unidentified girl provided evidence to federal investigators that Abrego Garcia had asked a 15-year-old Maryland girl to send him nude pictures of herself and sent her other messages discussing OnlyFans.

Lawyers for Abrego Garcia referred to these accusations as “slanderous” and said a “flirtatious event” from five years ago shouldn’t impact his detention.

Abrego Garcia’s lawyers, including public defenders Richard Tennant and Dumaka Shabazz, argued that the Justice Department’s case relied too much on hearsay, and they tried to discredit the testimony about his activities given to federal investigators from two men who also face deportation and federal punishment.

The defense did not call any witnesses, but pointed to multiple pieces of evidence, including a 2019 immigration holding that Abrego Garcia should not be deported to his home country of El Salvador because of fears of gang violence. They also included a letter from an immigrant activist group called CASA, which promised to help Abrego Garcia should he be released.

Holmes at times appeared critical of the Justice Department, and suggested that their evidence was dated because it came from 2020-2022. When discussing the orders of protection granted to Abrego Garcia’s wife over fears for her own safety, Holmes asked McGuire whether it would be “equally plausible” that he had a change of heart over the last four years rather than stay the same.

Regardless of her decision, Abrego Garcia will likely not be leaving federal custody anytime soon as ICE is expected to take custody of him if he is released on the smuggling charges.

Before the hearing began, dozens of people gathered outside the courthouse holding signs like “F*** ICE” and “Stop ICE Kidnappings.” By noon, the crowd had largely dispersed as rain ripped through Nashville and the proceedings dragged into late afternoon.