Abrego Garcia’s asylum bid denied

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man mistakenly deported to a Salvadoran prison, was denied asylum on Wednesday by an immigration judge. 

The decision, reported by several outlets including The Associated Press, is a setback for Abrego Garcia, who asked an immigration court to reopen his 2019 petition for asylum.

Abrego Garcia now has 30 days to appeal the decision with the Board of Immigration Appeals, which falls under the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The move comes as Abrego Garcia could soon face deportation as he awaits criminal charges in Tennessee related to a 2022 traffic stop. 

Abrego Garcia first sought asylum in 2019, and while a judge at the time rejected the request, he was granted what is known as withholding of removal, barring him from being deported to El Salvador due to gang threats against his family.

While Abrego Garcia spent more than two months in a notorious prison in El Salvador, after securing his return, federal prosecutors charged him with human smuggling.

The Justice Department offered him a plea deal that asserted he could “live freely” with refugee or residency status in Costa Rica after serving federal prison time. 

Ultimately, Abrego Garcia denied the offer and was then told to report to an Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) field office in Baltimore and that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intends to deport him to Uganda.

Officials have also considered deporting him to Eswatini, a small country in southern Africa where the king still holds absolute power, according to the AP.

In court documents, Abrego Garcia’s lawyers have alleged he cannot receive a fair trial due to “highly prejudicial, inflammatory, and false statements" from government officials.

DHS has shared numerous posts online alleging he’s a member of the gang MS-13, a "human trafficker, domestic abuser, and child predator" who will never be “loose on American streets.”

A review by The Hill found the claims of gang ties were largely based on one confidential tip, while documents released by a Justice Department whistleblower shows DOJ and immigration officials discussing how they could associate Abrego Garcia with the gang.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has also made similar allegations despite Abrego Garcia’s repeated denial of gang affiliations. 

Rebecca Beitsch contributed to this article.