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A federal judge has ruled the immediate discharge of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from detention by ICE, finding his continued detainment lacks legal authority.

"Since his return from erroneous imprisonment in El Salvador, he has been taken back into custody, again without legal justification," the judge wrote in her ruling.

The case originates in a erroneous removal to El Salvador in March, which US authorities later admitted was an mistake. Following his repatriation to the United States to answer human smuggling charges, he was detained in federal custody.

In her order, the judge noted that the government does not have a current deportation order, which prevents them from removing Mr. Abrego Garcia "at this time."

Context of the Case

The legal challenge center on conflicting assertions. Whereas the Trump administration argues that Abrego Garcia is a affiliate of the MS-13 gang, he vehemently disputes this claim.

He has also pleaded not guilty to the conspiracy counts, which are part of a separate criminal case in the state of Tennessee.

Terms of Freedom

The court, who was hearing his petition to removal in a Maryland district court, ruled that he must now adhere to the terms of his release from custody in Tennessee. This order effectively transfers his monitoring to the Tennessee court.

This ruling marks a notable development in a complicated legal case involving allegations of mistaken imprisonment and contested gang associations.