Federal authorities are preparing to deport MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda after his release from a Tennessee jail, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Abrego Garcia, who had been held in Tennessee, was released from custody on Friday and returned to Maryland to be with his family, his attorney confirmed.
Sean Hecker, his lawyer, said in a statement to Fox 17, “Today, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is free. He is presently en route to his family in Maryland, after being unlawfully arrested and deported, and then imprisoned, all because of the government’s vindictive attack on a man who had the courage to fight back against the Administration’s continuing assault on the rule of law. He is grateful that his access to American courts has provided meaningful due process.”
Abrego Garcia’s case has moved between multiple courts in recent months.
Last month, a Tennessee federal judge ordered his release, and shortly after, a Maryland judge appointed by former President Barack Obama blocked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from detaining him again.
Despite those rulings, DHS has notified Abrego Garcia that ICE may deport him to Uganda “no earlier than 72 hours from now,” according to Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin.
ICE also ordered him to report to its Baltimore office on Monday.
BREAKING: Per DHS & ICE sources, this afternoon, DHS notified Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s counsel via email that ICE may deport Abrego Garcia to Uganda “no earlier than 72 hours from now”, & ICE is also ordering him to report to ICE’s Baltimore office on Monday. Notifications below 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/CLQSm78JfX
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) August 22, 2025
Abrego Garcia was previously deported earlier this year to his home country of El Salvador, where he was placed in the CECOT prison, a high-security facility for gang members and violent offenders.
However, federal judges ordered that he be returned to the United States.
An immigration judge had ordered his removal, but not specifically to El Salvador, which has now opened the possibility for deportation to a third country.
The Trump administration has since indicated that deportation to Uganda is the likely outcome.
A federal grand jury in Tennessee indicted Abrego Garcia earlier this year on charges related to transporting illegal aliens inside the United States.
He was charged with one count of conspiracy to transport aliens and one count of unlawful transportation of undocumented aliens.
The Department of Justice previously informed the court that Abrego Garcia would be deported to a third country following his release from Tennessee custody.
With El Salvador no longer an option, DHS and ICE sources now confirm that Uganda is under consideration.
If deported to Uganda, Abrego Garcia would be removed under DHS authority that allows transfer to third countries in cases where deportation to the home country is not possible.
DHS has not disclosed why Uganda was chosen, but officials have emphasized that deportation proceedings are moving forward and that Abrego Garcia has been notified.
For now, Abrego Garcia has been instructed to comply with ICE reporting requirements while the deportation timeline is finalized.
DHS has not provided further comment beyond the notice given to his counsel.
The case remains closely watched as it highlights ongoing conflicts between federal immigration enforcement and court rulings that have complicated the removal of individuals with prior deportation orders.
Sean Hecker, his lawyer (who doesn’t know the meaning of the word “presently”) is concerned the Maryland Man doesn’t speak the language of Uganda. Would anyone like to wager a guess as to what is the official language of Uganda? (When will the left get irony?)
My question is, what genius in the Trump administration thought that it would be a good idea to bring him back to the U.S. for prosecution? He was securely locked up in prison in El Salvador and not costing the American taxpayer a nickel. Now, we are paying millions of dollars to transport, incarcerate and prosecute him. The Democrats now have a Latino O.J. Simpson that they are using as a ’cause celeb’ and making a farce out of the deportation process. Stupid decision by stupid people.
Maybe you can research that and get back to us.
I bet Uganda prisons are a whole lot of fun. This MS13 member is going to beg to go back to CECOT.