Hearing set for Maryland man wrongfully deported to El Salvador

LANGLEY PARK, Md. - Lawyers for a Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador are demanding his return to the United States and will appear in court Friday to file a motion urging the Trump administration to bring him back.

LATEST: Maryland man deported to El Salvador must be returned to the United States, judge says

Legal fight for wrongfully deported Maryland man 

What we know:

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, has not been heard from in three weeks. His attorneys are asking a judge to order his immediate release and ensure his safe transfer to the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador.

Garcia, a sheet-metal apprentice, was arrested on March 12 while driving home with his 5-year-old son. Three days later, the government deported him to El Salvador, admitting the action was a mistake. 

Photos released by ICE show Garcia at a maximum-security terrorism confinement center. His wife, Jennifer, a U.S. citizen, identified him in the images. She says Garcia is the sole provider for their family, which includes three children requiring specialized care.

Family and supporters rally for Garcia's return

Garcia’s lawyers argue he had legal protection from deportation and was falsely identified as a gang member by a confidential informant in 2019. A judge later ruled Garcia had credible fears of being killed if forced to return to El Salvador. Garcia has no criminal record in the U.S. or El Salvador.

While the Trump administration has acknowledged the deportation as an "administrative error," officials claim they lack the authority to bring Garcia back. 

A morning rally in Hyattsville, Maryland, will be held in his support, with his wife and members of his sheet-metal union are expected to attend. The afternoon court hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt.