Trump Admin Reaffirms Plan to Deport Abrego Garcia to Liberia Despite Court Ruling

The Trump administration reaffirmed its plans to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia — a Salvadoran man the government previously admitted was erroneously deported to El Salvador in violation of a court order — this time to Liberia, a day after Judge Paula Xinis rejected the Liberia plan and rebuked the DOJ. The case has become one of the highest-profile wrongful deportation cases in recent U.S. history. A federal judge ordered his return to the U.S. and the Supreme Court unanimously upheld that order, but the administration has refused to comply, instead announcing a new deportation target of Liberia despite Abrego Garcia having no known ties to that country. Legal experts and advocates warn the administration's stance represents a direct defiance of court orders and could set a dangerous precedent for due process rights in immigration enforcement. Abrego Garcia's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the pending human smuggling charges as vindictive prosecution.