Judge tosses Kilmar Abrego Garcia charges, calls Trump administration prosecution 'vindictive'
A federal judge in Tennessee dismissed human smuggling charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, citing the prosecution as 'vindictive.' The judge found that the charges were brought in retaliation for Garcia's legal challenge against his deportation. This ruling represents a significant legal victory for Garcia amid ongoing debates over immigration policies from the Trump administration.
- ▪U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw ruled that the Justice Department's prosecution of Kilmar Abrego Garcia was vindictive.
- ▪The judge noted that the government would not have pursued the case had Garcia not challenged his deportation.
- ▪Garcia was deported to El Salvador in March 2025 despite a court order barring his removal due to potential persecution.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
A federal judge in Tennessee on Friday dismissed human smuggling charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant whose mistaken deportation by the Trump administration became a flashpoint in President Donald Trump's broader immigration crackdown.U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw ruled that the Justice Department's prosecution of Abrego Garcia was "vindictive," finding that the government would not have brought the case had he not challenged his deportation."Then-Attorney General Robert H. Jackson warned his fellow prosecutors long ago of the danger of picking the person first and the crime second," Crenshaw wrote at the top of the 32-page ruling.
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