ICE Detains Abrego Garcia During Check-In, Plans Second Deportation

Update 8/25/25 at 3:58pm ET: US District Judge Paula Xinis ruled on Monday that Abrego Garcia will remain in the US until the legality of his deportation is settled.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials arrested Kilmar Abrego Garcia on Monday, during a check-in at an ICE office in Maryland. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials announced plans to begin Abrego Garcia’s deportation to Uganda, quickly prompting a lawsuit.

Key Quotes: The DHS wrote on X Monday, “Sanctuary politicians and the FAKE news won’t tell you the truth about Kilmar Abrego Garcia—a MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, wife beater, child predator and criminal illegal alien. We will.” Abrego Garcia’s lawyer told reporters, “Mr. Abrego Garcia has filed a new lawsuit in the federal district court for the District of Maryland challenging his confinement and challenging his deportation to Uganda, or to any other country unless and until he's had a fair trial— as in, an immigration court, as well as his full appeal rights.”

For Context: Abrego Garcia migrated to the US illegally in 2011. A judge granted him “withholding of removal” status in 2019 due to supposed threats against his life from gang-members in his homeland of El Salvador. The Trump administration sent Abrego Garcia to the CECOT prison in El Salvador – where he claimed to have been tortured – due to an “administrative error.” He was later returned to the US amid human smuggling charges, to which he pled not guilty. Track controversial deportations and detainments under the Trump administration.

How The Media Covered It: Both Fox News (Right bias) and BBC (Center) highlighted the smuggling charges against Abrego Garcia. NPR (Lean Left) alternatively framed Abrego Garcia through an empathetic lens, highlighting his family and faith-related comments. Fox News quoted Border Czar Tom Homan, who said, “His family can go with him, because he’s leaving.”

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