Deported Maryland man's family speaks out: 'We're not going to give up hope'
The family of a Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador is speaking out in a case that has garnered national attention.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Kilmar Abrego Garcia in March. The agency later said his detention resulted from an "."
On Friday, a federal judge in Greenbelt, Maryland, ordered the Trump administration to arrange for Abrego Garcia's return by midnight Monday.
The U.S. Supreme Court paused the federal judge's order before Monday's deadline, and now, his legal fight remains in limbo.
Some of his family spoke Wednesday at a news conference in Washington.
"To the Supreme Court justices, do the right thing. History will always remember you," said Jennifer Vasquez Sura, Garcia's wife.
Abrego Garcia, 29, was in the country illegally; however, an immigration judge withheld his removal in 2019 because he had been the target of violent gangs in El Salvador.
Abrego Garcia had a permit to legally work in the U.S. when he was taken into custody on March 15. Court records show he regularly checked in with immigration officials and was never charged with a crime.
His wife expressed how the family is not giving up hope.
"I'm still fighting for you. Your brother, your mother, your children are still fighting for you. We're not going to give up hope," Vasquez Sura said.
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, reaffirmed his commitment to fight for Abrego Garcia's return to the U.S.
"What has happened here should never happen in the United States of America," Van Hollen said. "This is something that is so reprehensible that we will fight back in the courts, and we'll fight back in Congress, but right now, of course, this is in the courts."
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters on Tuesday that she will fight against Abrego Garcia's return to the U.S., calling the federal judge's ruling an overstep of authority.
The White House maintains that Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 gang, a claim for which the White House provided no real evidence and one his attorneys deny.
"To say that he was training to be an electrician does not legitimize him from being a violent gang member, and we will continue to fight for the safety of Americans," Bondi said on Tuesday.
While the Supreme Court paused the federal judge's order for Abrego Garcia's return, it remains unclear how long the pause will remain in effect. Abrego Garcia's attorneys said it could be days or even weeks.