NASHVILLE — Authorities in Tennessee have unveiled footage from a 2022 traffic stop involving Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a construction worker from Maryland whose wrongful deportation to El Salvador turned him into a symbol of contentious U.S. immigration policies.
The video captured by body cameras shows an amicable interaction between the Tennessee Highway Patrol officers and Garcia, who had been pulled over due to speeding. He was driving a vehicle with eight passengers, stating they had been working in Missouri.
The officers engaged in a conversation among themselves, pondering the possibility of human trafficking since the group was traveling without luggage. One officer speculated that Garcia might be “hauling these people for money,” while another noted that he had $1,400 in an envelope.
Ultimately, Garcia was not charged with any wrongdoing, and the officers permitted him to continue his journey with just a warning for an expired driver’s license. According to a report released last month by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, he was on his way from Texas to Maryland, via Missouri, transporting workers for construction projects.
Despite the absence of any official charges, the Trump administration has been keen to spotlight Garcia’s police encounters. This comes even as it faces legal pressure to allow his return to the U.S. following a federal court order and calls from Congress.
In a statement, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, Garcia’s attorney, commented on the absence of incriminating evidence in the footage. “But the point is not the traffic stop — it’s that Mr. Abrego Garcia deserves his day in court. Bring him back to the United States,” Sandoval-Moshenberg argued.
Garcia’s wife had earlier explained that her husband often ferried fellow construction workers between job sites. “Unfortunately, Kilmar is currently imprisoned without contact with the outside world, which means he cannot respond to the claims,” said Jennifer Vasquez Sura in April.
Fleeing El Salvador at 16, Garcia had lived in Maryland for around 14 years. However, in March, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported him to a Salvadoran prison following a 2019 allegation of MS-13 gang affiliation.
In Maryland, police linked Garcia to the MS-13 gang citing his tattoos, a Chicago Bulls hoodie, and an informant’s tip. Yet, he was never formally charged. His legal team argues that the informant’s claim connected Garcia to a New York MS-13 chapter, a place he’s never resided in.
Notably, his deportation contradicted a 2019 U.S. immigration judge’s order that protected him from being sent back to El Salvador, where he risked persecution from local gangs.
After a lawsuit from Garcia’s family, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis demanded his return on April 4. The Supreme Court further stipulated on April 10 that the administration must act to facilitate Garcia’s return.
Judge Xinis criticized the government’s lack of action, instructing officials to provide documented efforts to ensure compliance. The administration’s appeal was rejected when a federal appeals court supported Xinis’ demand for thorough documentation. The case remains unresolved.
Simultaneously, President Donald Trump acknowledged the possibility of intervening by communicating with Salvadoran authorities. However, he reiterated claims that Garcia was involved with the MS-13 gang.
Attorney Sandoval-Moshenberg emphasized that Garcia deserves a fair trial. “I have represented Kilmar Abrego Garcia for more than a month, and this bodycam video is the first time I’ve heard his voice,” Sandoval-Moshenberg remarked. “He has been denied the most basic protections of due process — no phone call to his lawyer, no call to his wife or child, and no opportunity to be heard.”