US says it now plans to deport Abrego Garcia to Liberia by October 31

US government plans to deport Kilmer Abrego Garcia liberiaAnd that could be done by Oct. 31, according to Friday’s court filing.

The case of the Salvadoran citizen has become a magnet for opposition to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in violation of a settlement agreement. He was returned to the United States in June after the US Supreme Court said the administration would have to work to get him back. Since he cannot be deported back to El Salvador, ICE is seeking to deport him to several African countries.

Meanwhile, a federal judge maryland has previously put a stay on their immediate deportation. Abrego Garcia’s lawsuit claims the Trump administration is illegally using the deportation process to punish him for the embarrassment of his earlier wrongful deportation.

“Liberia is a thriving democracy and one of the United States’ closest partners on the African continent,” Friday’s court filing from the Department of Homeland Security said. Its national language is English; Its constitution “provides strong protections for human rights;” And Liberia is “committed to the humane treatment of refugees,” the filing reads. Its conclusion is that Abrego García could be deported by October 31.

“After unsuccessful efforts with Uganda, Eswatini and Ghana, ICE now wishes to deport our client Kilmer Abrego Garcia to Liberia, a country with which he has no ties, thousands of miles away from his family and home in Maryland,” a statement from attorney Simon Sandoval-Moschenberg said. “Costa Rica is prepared to accept him as a refugee, which is a viable and legitimate option. Yet the government has chosen a path to inflict maximum hardship. These actions are punitive, cruel, and unconstitutional.”

Abrego García has an American wife and child and lived in Maryland for years, but immigrated to the US illegally as a teenager. In 2019, an immigration judge granted him protection from being deported back to El Salvador, where he faced a “well-founded fear” of violence from a gang targeting his family, according to court filings. In a separate action in immigration court, Abrego García has applied for asylum in the United States.

Additionally, Abrego Garcia is facing criminal charges in federal court. tennesseeWhere he has pleaded not guilty to human trafficking. He has filed a motion to dismiss the charges, claiming the prosecution is retaliatory.