Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Deportation Again Blocked By Obama-Appointed Federal Judge — For Now

The Trump administration has another hurdle to leap if it’s going to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia, as a federal judge once again stepped in on Monday to block Immigration and Customs Enforcement from sending the Salvadoran national to Uganda — at least for now.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, an Obama appointee, ruled that Abrego Garcia must remain in the United States until she can hold an evidentiary hearing on a lawsuit filed by Abrego Garcia, NBC News reported. The lawsuit challenges Abrego Garcia’s deportation to Uganda, arguing that he must be given a fair trial before the government can deport him to any country. Xinis is the same judge who ordered the Trump administration to “take all available steps to facilitate the return” of Abrego Garcia after he was deported to El Salvador in March, a move that went against judicial orders.

Xinis gave Abrego Garcia’s lawyers and Justice Department prosecutors a Tuesday morning deadline to submit their proposals for briefings and a hearing to decide whether Abrego Garcia would face danger if he were sent to Uganda, The New York Times reported. The judge said that the Trump administration is “absolutely forbidden at this juncture to remove Mr. Abrego Garcia from the continental United States.”

After he was released from a federal prison in Tennessee on Friday, Abrego Garcia showed up for a mandatory check-in with ICE in Baltimore and was detained. Abrego Garcia, who crossed the border illegally around 15 years ago, was charged with human smuggling and deported back to El Salvador earlier this year.

Abrego Garcia, who had been living in Maryland before his deportation, was sent back to the United States in early June after he was indicted on federal charges of conspiracy to transport aliens and unlawful transportation of illegal aliens. The Trump administration has also accused him of being a member of the MS-13 gang and a child predator.

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Abrego Garcia was also accused of beating his wife, according to a restraining order filed by his wife in 2021. Jennifer Vasquez Sura alleged that her husband slapped her, hit her with an object, and detained her against her will. Sura has since said that the couple has worked through the incident.

On Monday, the White House posted an image of Abrego Garcia next to the name of the gang, “MS-13,” that he is alleged to be a member of. “Still not a Maryland Dad…” the White House captioned the post.

Still NOT a Maryland Dad… pic.twitter.com/JhniYkBqrB

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 25, 2025

“ICE law enforcement arrested Kilmar Abrego Garcia & are processing him for deportation. @POTUS is not going to allow this illegal alien, who is an MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, & child predator to terrorize American citizens,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

When Abrego Garcia turned himself over to ICE on Monday morning, he was met by a group of supporters who chanted, “We are all Kilmar.”

Abrego Garcia addressed his supporters, saying, “To all of the families who have also suffered separations or who live under the constant threat of being separated,” he said, “I want to tell you that even though this injustice is hurting us hard, we must not lose hope.”

Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.