Kilmar Ábrego García, the Salvadoran man whose case has drawn national attention after a wrongful deportation, is finally free. His attorney, Sean Hecker, confirmed that he was released from custody this week and has returned to his family in Maryland.

Ábrego García had been deported to El Salvador in March during Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. U.S. officials later admitted his removal was an error. He was held in El Salvador’s Cecot mega-prison before being brought back to the United States in June, where he faced charges in Tennessee connected to a human smuggling case. He pleaded not guilty.

Key Points:

• Deported to El Salvador in March 2025 by mistake.

• Held in Cecot mega-prison before being returned to the U.S.

• Faced human smuggling charges in Tennessee, pleaded not guilty.

• Released after a judge ruled he was eligible for bail.

• Reunited with his wife and two children in Maryland.

Speaking after his release, Ábrego García said: “Today has been a very special day because I have seen my family for the first time in more than 160 days. I am grateful to God and to everyone who supported me. We are steps closer to justice, but justice has not been fully served.”

His legal team fears immigration authorities may still try to take him into custody. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem criticized the ruling, saying the judge had “put American safety at risk.” Trump officials have also suggested they may attempt to deport him again, possibly to another country.

Ábrego García first entered the U.S. as a teenager and was granted protection from deportation in 2019 because of gang threats in El Salvador. Despite that ruling, he was deported earlier this year in what government officials later admitted was a mistake.

His lawyers continue to fight to secure his legal status, while his family celebrates the first real chance at being together again since March.