Kilmar Abrego Garcia says he suffered brutal beatings, sleep deprivation, and mental torture after being deported to El Salvador. According to new court records filed Wednesday, the abuse happened inside the country’s largest high-security prison, known for its harsh conditions.
Garcia was mistakenly deported by U.S. authorities in March despite a 2019 court order protecting him from removal. He had been living in Maryland when immigration agents sent him to El Salvador. His lawyers say the deportation violated federal law and endangered his life.
Court documents reveal that once Garcia arrived at the prison, guards kicked and punched him repeatedly. By the next day, his body was covered in bruises and swelling. He said he and 20 other inmates were forced to kneel through the night. Anyone who moved or fell was struck by guards.
In his sworn statement, Garcia described the facility, called the Terrorism Confinement Center or CECOT, as extremely overcrowded. He said detainees were kept on metal bunks without mattresses in windowless cells lit by bright lights 24 hours a day. Access to toilets and clean water was severely limited.
Garcia said prison staff threatened to place him in cells with known gang members, warning that they would attack him. He also reported hearing constant screams from other inmates and said he witnessed people being violently assaulted in nearby cells. Within two weeks, Garcia lost over 30 pounds due to poor conditions and stress.
Garcia had been spared from deportation in 2019 after a U.S. immigration judge ruled that gangs in El Salvador had already targeted him and his family. Despite this, the Trump administration deported him in what was later described as an “administrative error.”
He became a high-profile case during the Trump-era immigration crackdown. Officials insisted he had ties to the MS-13 gang, though no court has proven that claim. His wife later sued the U.S. government, and new abuse claims were added to the case this week in Maryland federal court.
U.S. officials argue the case is now irrelevant because Garcia has since been returned to the U.S. following pressure from lawmakers and a Supreme Court order. However, his attorneys say the legal fight is far from over.
Senator Chris Van Hollen from Maryland visited Garcia in April while he was still being held in El Salvador. At the time, Garcia had been transferred to a different facility with improved conditions. Van Hollen has since called for a full investigation into the deportation and the abuse allegations.
When Garcia was returned to the U.S. in June, he was taken directly to Tennessee to face human smuggling charges. The Justice Department has said it will pursue these charges before considering deportation again. Garcia’s lawyers say the charges are false and were filed only to justify the earlier removal.
A federal judge in Tennessee ruled that Garcia can be released under certain conditions. However, his legal team asked that he remain in custody, fearing that he could be deported again if released too soon.
Justice Department attorney Jonathan Guynn told a Maryland judge that U.S. officials now plan to deport Garcia to a third country instead of El Salvador. No timeline has been provided, but Garcia’s lawyers say the threat of sudden deportation still looms.
As legal battles continue in two states, Garcia remains behind bars. His attorneys say they are working to ensure he receives protection, proper treatment, and a fair chance to challenge both the smuggling charges and the earlier deportation decision.
The case has drawn national attention to the risks of mistaken deportations and the treatment of detainees in foreign prisons. Garcia’s story adds to the growing concerns about human rights abuses tied to immigration policies and international detention practices.
