Photo by the United States Congress, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Kilmar Ábrego García, who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador by the Donald Trump administration, has reported being a victim of physical and psychological torture at the country's mega-prison, the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT). Ábrego García, who is currently facing human trafficking charges in Tennessee, alleged he was subjected to various abuses in court documents filed by his team with the court on Wednesday, July 2.
These documents They claim that At CECOT, authorities forced García and other men to kneel on the floor from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. The documents also allege that guards assaulted any prisoner who fell down from exhaustion. Ábrego García's team said they denied him access to the bathroom. They also claimed that CECOT authorities lock prisoners in windowless cells lit by bright, stupefying lights 24 hours a day.
Court documents also allege that CECOT prisoners sleep in metal bunks without any cushioning. Ábrego García's attorney stated that his client lost 30 pounds in just two weeks at CECOT.
The Deportation
The Trump administration deported El Salvador-born Kilmar Ábrego García from his Maryland home on April 15 of this year, describing the action as a “administrative error”. The administration maintained that the immigrant was part of the American terrorist group MS-13. Although the administration admitted that it could not guarantee this was true, it recently reiterated its claim that Garcia is part of MS-13.
In 2019, a federal judge granted García immigration protection and ordered him not to be deported. This action was intended to protect his life and that of his family from potential threats in El Salvador. The Trump administration ignored this order by deporting Ábrego García in April.
What's next for Kilmar Ábrego García?
Although the Trump administration initially said it had no way to bring Ábrego García back, it brought him back a month ago. Now, he faces to accusations of human trafficking in Nashville, Tennessee. Ábrego García's legal team described this accusation as an attempt to justify his wrongful deportation.
A federal judge in Tennessee ordered Garcia's release while his case is processed. However, prosecutors warned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would arrest and deport him before the process was concluded if he were released.
Last month, a Justice Department spokesperson announced that the administration will again attempt to deport Ábrego García once his case concludes. A Justice Department lawyer said in a separate statement that García will be sent to “another third-world country.” The statement contradicts a statement from Attorney General Pam Bondi, who stated that García will be sent to El Salvador.
Amid the confusion, Ábrego García's legal team has decided to keep him in detention.
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