Open Thread: Happy New Year to Kilmar Abrego Garcia
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — U.S. immigration officials do not plan to detain Kilmar Abrego Garcia again as long as a judge’s order banning it stands, according to a Tuesday court filing.
A great New Year for Kilmar and his family ! 🤩🎉💙
apnews.com/article/kilm…— Jean Pocket (@jeanpocket.bsky.social) December 30, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Curses, foiled again!… Per the Associated Press:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — U.S. immigration officials do not plan to detain Kilmar Abrego Garcia again as long as a judge’s order banning it stands, according to a Tuesday court filing…
Immigration and Customs Enforcement did make clear they would detain Abrego Garcia if the order was lifted, Liana J. Castano, assistant director for field operations, wrote in the filing.
Trump officials have accused Abrego Garcia of being a member of the MS-13 gang, but he has vehemently denied the accusations and has no criminal record. The administration brought him back to the U.S. in June under a court order, but only after issuing an arrest warrant on human smuggling charges in Tennessee.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis earlier this month questioned whether government officials could be trusted to follow orders barring them from taking Abrego Garcia back into immigration custody or deporting him.
Earlier Tuesday, a newly unsealed order in the criminal case against Abrego Garcia revealed that high-level Justice Department officials pushed for his indictment, calling it a “top priority,” only after he was mistakenly deported and then ordered returned to the U.S.
Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty in federal court to the human smuggling charges. He is seeking to have the case dismissed on the grounds that the prosecution is vindictive, arguing the Trump administration is targeting him as punishment for the embarrassment of his mistaken deportation…
In her Dec. 11 order, Xinis found that immigration officials had no viable plan to remove Abrego Garcia from the U.S. and said he could not be held indefinitely. She issued a separate order barring ICE from re-detaining him, at least for the time being. After a hearing on the issue, Xinis ordered the government to file the brief they released Tuesday outlining whether they planned to detain Abrego Garcia again.
To support that argument, he has asked the government to turn over documents that reveal how the decision was made to prosecute him in 2025 for an incident that occurred in 2022…
The newly unsealed Dec. 3 order from U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw compelled the government to provide some documents to Abrego Garcia and his attorneys, although it does not give a lot of detail on their contents…
A hearing on the motion to dismiss the human smuggling case on the basis of vindictive prosecution is scheduled for Jan. 28.
Much more detail at the link.
In USA v Abrego, Judge Crenshaw puts off deciding whether to make DAG Blanche & his deputies testify. 1st he’ll hold a hearing on 1/28 to see if govt can rebut the showing Abrego has already made the prosecution is vindictive. If so, he’ll revisit making Blanche testify. If not, case dism’d. …
— Roger Parloff (@rparloff.bsky.social) December 24, 2025 at 8:00 AM
… He says that here, though there's a typo. Doc. No 104 is Abrego's motion to dismiss for vindictive prosecution (not govt's motion to quash).
— Roger Parloff (@rparloff.bsky.social) December 24, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Loving the rock and a hard place position the government is now in- offer proof not vindictive, then subpoenas will be issued.
Fail at disproving vindictiveness, then case dismissed.
If it were me, I'd skip and find a good reason to dismiss now— debra (@andthelistgrows.bsky.social) December 24, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Is there a good reason to wait a month to hold a hearing?
— Buzz Grambo (@buzzgrambo.bsky.social) December 24, 2025 at 8:05 AM
He’s basically replacing this hearing with what would have been the start of the trial. Totally different arguments and lawyers need time. But also ask yourself what Garcia feels about this news while ya know he’s home with his family.
— Derek A (@sondeerrf.bsky.social) December 24, 2025 at 8:16 AM
What we long suspected has now been made clear in a finding from a District Court Judge: this Administration’s decision to go after Kilmar Abrego García is a vindictive prosecution.
They’re weaponizing our justice system and threatening the rights of all. This cannot stand.— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@vanhollen.senate.gov) December 31, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Recall that Trump/Miller have refused to deport Abrego Garcia to Costa Rica even though he's signaled acceptance of that. They must deport him to the country of *their* choice because otherwise it won't look dehumanizing and cruel enough. This is abominable conduct.
newrepublic.com/article/2043…— Greg Sargent (@gregsargent.bsky.social) December 30, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Abrego Garcia does not go a single day without demonstrating how genuinely American he is lol
— the abbot of unreason (an archaeologist) (@merovingians.bsky.social) December 28, 2025 at 12:41 AM
The post Open Thread: Happy New Year to Kilmar Abrego Garcia appeared first on Balloon Juice.
Saint James Talarico (he/him)
David Harsanyi, Washington Examinerمصدر …
