Kilmar Abrego Garcia has revealed details of harsh treatment during his imprisonment in El Salvador after being deported by the Trump administration last March. According to new legal documents, Abrego Garcia described being subjected to physical abuse and psychological torture while detained at the notorious El Salvador prison. The brutality he endured after arriving left his body covered in bruises and lumps. Additionally, he recounted instances where he and others were forced to kneel throughout the night, with guards punishing anyone who collapsed.
Originally residing in Maryland, Abrego Garcia found himself deported by mistake amid President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policy, igniting controversy. Fresh details of his ordeal in the El Salvadorian prison are included in a lawsuit filed by his wife in Maryland federal court. The Trump administration is seeking the lawsuit’s dismissal, claiming the case is irrelevant since it complied with the court’s order to return him to the United States.
In 2019, a U.S. immigration judge ruled against deporting Abrego Garcia to El Salvador due to potential persecution by local gangs that had plagued him and his family. Despite this, the Trump administration proceeded with the deportation, later blaming it on an “administrative error.” Following this, officials have stood by their assertions that Abrego Garcia was associated with the MS-13 gang.
Upon his deportation on March 15, Abrego Garcia was incarcerated at the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador. Court records reveal that detainees there endured deplorable conditions with metal bunks lacking mattresses, overcrowded cells, continuous bright lighting, and limited sanitation. He recalls threats from prison officials who warned of transferring him to cells with gang members intent on harming him. Observing violence and hearing agonizing cries added to his distress.
Abrego Garcia’s health rapidly declined, losing over 30 pounds within the initial weeks at CECOT. In April, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen visited him, reporting improved conditions after a transfer to a less severe facility. Despite mounting legal and public pressure, alongside a Supreme Court mandate, the Trump administration eventually returned him to the U.S. to face human smuggling charges in Tennessee.
Attorney General Pam Bondi equated his return to American justice. However, Abrego Garcia’s lawyers deride the charges as baseless, arguing they serve to rationalize his wrongful deportation. A Tennessee federal judge decided he is eligible for release, under specific conditions, while awaiting trial. However, acting on his attorneys’ concerns of potential re-deportation upon release, he remains detained.
Justice Department spokesperson Chad Gilmartin expressed intentions to prosecute Abrego Garcia on the smuggling charges before readdressing deportation. Meanwhile, Justice Department lawyer Jonathan Guynn indicated plans for future deportation to an undisclosed country outside El Salvador without a set timeline. This uncertainty further fuels his legal team’s worries of immediate deportation following the trial.