Kilmar Abrego Garcia speaks during a rally and prayer vigil for him before he enters a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office on August 25, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland.
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Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
On Friday, a federal judge in Tennessee dismissed criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego García, an immigrant who had been wrongfully deported to El Salvador.
After being brought back to the U.S., Abrego Garcia faced charges of human smuggling related to a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee. Although he was not charged at that time, the Justice Department decided to reopen an investigation after a Maryland federal judge mandated the Trump administration to arrange his return from El Salvador.
In his decision on Friday, U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw criticized the actions of then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, stating they introduced a “vindictive motive” to the investigation.
Crenshaw pointed out that the reopening of the closed Homeland Security Investigations case was at the core of this vindictiveness. He noted that without Abrego Garcia’s successful lawsuit challenging his deportation, the government would not have pursued charges.
Crenshaw emphasized that Blanche’s public remarks, which linked the reopened investigation to Abrego’s legal victory, tainted the proceedings with a vindictive motive, reflecting what he described as an abuse of prosecutorial power.
In response to the ruling, the Department of Homeland Security labeled the decision as “naked judicial activism.” The agency also asserted that Abrego Garcia’s deportation order remains, insisting, “this Salvadorian is not going to remain in our country.”
Abrego Garcia expressed his gratitude in a statement, saying, “Justice is a big word and an even bigger promise to fulfill; and I am grateful that today, justice has taken a step forward.”
