Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant at the center of a high-profile deportation dispute, says he was subjected to beatings and psychological torture after being mistakenly deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration. New court filings reveal harrowing details of his time at the country’s infamous CECOT prison — just days before a pivotal hearing in Maryland federal court that could determine his future in the United States.
Abrego Garcia’s legal team alleges he endured sleep deprivation, violent assaults, and threats of death while being held at the maximum-security Terrorism Confinement Center. In a filing to U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, his attorneys say the abuse began immediately upon his arrival in March.
“Welcome to CECOT. Whoever enters here doesn’t leave,” a guard reportedly told him.
According to the filing, prison guards kicked him, beat him with wooden batons, and forced him to kneel for hours through the night — punishing anyone who fell from exhaustion. He lost more than 30 pounds within two weeks, his lawyers say.
They also describe repeated threats that he would be thrown into cells with violent gang members. “He repeatedly observed prisoners violently attacking one another without any response from guards,” the filing states.
Hearing Set to Reignite Legal Fight
Monday’s status hearing in Greenbelt, Maryland is expected to be a flashpoint in the legal tug-of-war between Abrego Garcia’s attorneys and the Trump administration. The government is seeking to dismiss the case, arguing it’s now moot since Abrego is back in U.S. custody, facing criminal charges in Tennessee.
But Abrego’s lawyers argue the court still has jurisdiction — and are urging Judge Xinis to order his return to Maryland and prevent any further removal from the U.S. without court approval. They’ve raised concerns he could face renewed persecution if deported to a third country such as Libya, South Sudan, or Eritrea.
The filings also push back on the government’s repeated labeling of Abrego Garcia as an MS-13 gang member. Prison officials at CECOT, his attorneys say, explicitly stated that his tattoos were not gang-related.
Dual Court Battles, Growing Scrutiny
The case has grown more complex as Abrego simultaneously faces a federal human trafficking charge in Tennessee. A separate judge there recently warned Trump administration officials not to make prejudicial public comments about the case.
Abrego’s lawyers claim the administration has launched a months-long smear campaign, referring to him publicly as a gang member, human trafficker, and domestic abuser — despite lacking evidence and before any trial has taken place.
“Thus far, the government’s unabated public disparagement of Mr. Abrego has far outpaced its ability to muster actual evidence,” the attorneys wrote.
At his June arraignment, U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes ordered Abrego’s release, citing weak evidence and reliance on “double hearsay” by prosecutors.
Judge Slams Government Tactics
Judge Xinis has previously criticized the Justice Department for delays and what she called “vague, evasive, and incomplete” responses in the civil case. She’s expressed frustration at what she described as a “bad faith refusal” to comply with court orders.
Now, both sides are set to appear again in court Monday at 11 a.m., as the legal battle surrounding Abrego Garcia enters a critical phase — with implications that could extend beyond one man’s case and into the heart of U.S. immigration policy under President Trump’s second term.
