A US federal judge dismisses a criminal case against Kilmar Abrego García, a Salvadoran man who was deported to El Salvador after a high-profile dispute over his removal. In a ruling issued Friday, US District Judge Waverly Crenshaw grants Abrego García’s motion to dismiss two criminal charges, finding that the Trump administration’s Justice Department prosecuted him in a manner the judge described as “vindictive” and “an abuse of prosecuting power.” According to multiple reports, prosecutors targeted him only after he successfully won a lawsuit challenging his deportation, and the judge concluded the government would not have pursued the case had he not brought that challenge.
Abrego García, a Maryland resident married to an American woman, became a prominent figure in the broader debate over the administration’s migrant crackdown after he was among more than 200 people sent to El Salvador’s CECOT prison in March last year. One report notes a prior court order barring his return there due to fears of persecution, setting the stage for his legal fight before prosecutors later pursued criminal charges.
