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A court has ruled the immediate discharge of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration custody, finding his continued confinement is without lawful basis.

"Since his release after erroneous detention in El Salvador, he has been taken back into custody, again without legal justification," Judge Paula Xinis wrote in her ruling.

The case stems from a mistaken removal to El Salvador in March, which the government later admitted was an error. Following his repatriation to the United States to answer human smuggling charges, he was held in immigration custody.

In her order, the judge pointed out that the authorities does not have a valid deportation order, which prevents them from removing Mr. Abrego Garcia "at this time."

Context of the Case

The court challenge involve conflicting claims. Whereas the Trump administration argues that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang, he vehemently disputes this claim.

He has also entered a not guilty plea to the smuggling charges, which are part of a separate criminal case in Tennessee.

Conditions of Release

The judge, who was overseeing his petition to removal in a federal court, determined that he must now comply with the conditions of his release from jail in Tennessee. This decision effectively transfers his monitoring to the jurisdiction handling his criminal case.

This ruling marks a notable development in a complex immigration case involving allegations of mistaken imprisonment and contested gang associations.