Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national living in Maryland, was arrested by immigration police on March 12 and deported to El Salvador on March 15. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released documents outlining his past law enforcement encounters, including an arrest in 2019 at a Maryland Home Depot where police claimed to have found marijuana.

Abrego Garcia was not charged but was detained by immigration officials.

The documents also described his clothing as resembling gang-related attire and cited an unnamed informant claiming he was part of MS-13's Westerns clique, though this was never substantiated in court.

Despite inconsistent statements about his fear of returning to El Salvador, an immigration judge had previously found Abrego Garcia credible and granted him withholding of removal, protecting him from deportation based on the risk of persecution.

The DHS also released a 2021 protective order filed by Abrego Garcia's wife, which she later dropped, citing an argument that turned physical but stating that the couple resolved their issues through counseling.

In late 2022, Abrego Garcia was stopped in Tennessee for speeding while driving a group of people, with the DHS report suggesting potential human trafficking due to the number of passengers and lack of luggage.

However, no charges were filed, and his wife maintains that he worked in construction and often transported workers.

The federal judge overseeing the case has repeatedly asked the Justice Department for evidence to support the deportation, but so far, officials have provided no formal charges or convictions against Abrego Garcia.

The case has sparked controversy and political debate, with Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen visiting El Salvador to meet with Abrego Garcia and calling his deportation an 'illegal abduction.' The White House has defended the deportation, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt labeling Abrego Garcia a gang member and 'apparent woman beater.'