WASHINGTON — Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose erroneous deportation to El Salvador sparked widespread criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, has now been charged in the United States with transporting people who were in the country illegally, federal officials confirmed Friday.
The charges against Abrego Garcia stem from a 2022 traffic stop conducted by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Officers at the time suspected human trafficking after discovering that several vehicle occupants were undocumented, carried no luggage, and had listed Abrego Garcia’s address as their destination, according to an April report from the Department of Homeland Security.
Despite those concerns, Abrego Garcia was not charged during the stop and was allowed to continue driving with only a warning for an expired driver’s license. The DHS report stated that he was allegedly traveling from Texas to Maryland, by way of Missouri, transporting individuals for construction-related work.
Abrego Garcia’s deportation, which occurred earlier this year, was later acknowledged as a mistake by federal authorities. He was returned to the U.S. under federal custody to face charges related to what the Trump administration described as a “large-scale human smuggling operation.”
“This is what American justice looks like,” said U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement Friday, highlighting the government’s intent to hold accountable individuals suspected of organizing illegal entry into the country.
Federal officials said Abrego Garcia is expected to stand trial in the United States and will be deported to El Salvador after the legal proceedings are concluded, if convicted.
His case has reignited political debate over the handling of deportations and immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, particularly when errors impact legal due process or result in the wrongful expulsion of individuals from U.S. soil.
Abrego Garcia, a native of El Salvador, had previously been under immigration review before his premature deportation, which drew sharp responses from immigrant rights groups and members of Congress. His return under custody and subsequent charges now mark a dramatic turn in the ongoing scrutiny of U.S. immigration enforcement protocols.
