30 Days to Appeal: Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Asylum Bid Denied by Immigration Judge

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A U.S. immigration judge recently denied asylum to Kilmar Abrego Garcia. His case has become a symbol in the heated debate over immigration policy.

In a Baltimore court, the judge rejected a move to reopen Abrego Garcia’s asylum case from 2019. Though this ruling isn’t final, he has 30 days to appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals.

Originally from El Salvador, Abrego Garcia has lived in Maryland for years. He has an American wife and children but immigrated illegally as a teenager. In 2019, federal agents arrested him, and he sought asylum but wasn’t eligible because he had been in the U.S. for over a year. The judge noted he couldn’t be sent back to El Salvador, where gangs threaten his family.

In March 2020, he was deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration and was held in a dangerous prison. His case gained attention as a focal point for opponents of the administration’s strict immigration policies. In June 2020, after a Supreme Court ruling, he returned to the U.S. but faced charges of human smuggling.

Currently, Abrego Garcia is dealing with criminal charges in Tennessee, stemming from a traffic stop in 2022. Immigration officials are attempting to deport him to Uganda or Eswatini, a small southern African nation. His lawyers argue these actions are punitive, a response to his challenges against the administration.

His request for reopening his asylum case carries significant risk. If granted, he could earn a green card and a path to citizenship. However, losing the case may strip him of protections against deportation, potentially returning him to a prison where he claims to have suffered abuse. The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, has denied these allegations.

The Trump administration portrayed Abrego Garcia as affiliated with the MS-13 gang, despite no criminal convictions. His lawyers are concerned about bias, seeking a gag order to ensure fairness in the trial.

The case illustrates how personal stories intertwine with broader policy debates. Recent surveys show that immigration remains a top concern for voters, with a Pew Research study indicating that 60% of Americans prioritize border security.

The ongoing discussion around immigration is not just legal; it’s deeply human. Cases like Abrego Garcia’s serve as reminders of the complexities individuals face amid political battles.

For more on immigration policy shifts, consider exploring the Pew Research Center.

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