Judge Orders Release of Salvadoran Man, Baltimore ICE Office Sees Protest

Federal authorities released Kilmar Abrego Garcia on December 12, 2025 after U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis issued an order prohibiting his detention until the court holds a hearing on a motion for a temporary restraining order. Abrego Garcia appeared that day for a routine check in at the Baltimore ICE field office, where supporters and immigrant rights organizers with CASA gathered as he left the facility.

The court order requires Abrego Garcia to live with his brother in Maryland and to seek employment while the litigation proceeds. Judge Xinis further barred federal officials from detaining him again until the court addresses the motion, leaving his custody status tied to the pending hearing. The release follows months of legal wrangling that drew national attention and local activism.

Abrego Garcia is a Salvadoran national whose immigration history includes a 2019 decision that barred deportation to El Salvador. He was mistakenly deported in March of this year, a move that prompted complaints and scrutiny when federal officials later attempted to remove him to third countries. Those attempts and the subsequent litigation have highlighted tensions between immigration enforcement practices and established legal protections.

Separately, Abrego Garcia faces a criminal trial on smuggling charges in Tennessee, which is scheduled to begin on Jan. 26, 2026. The concurrence of criminal and immigration proceedings illustrates the legal complexity that can arise when federal removal actions intersect with prosecutions in other jurisdictions.

For Baltimore residents the episode has immediate resonance. The presence of supporters outside the ICE field office and public statements from City Council members and members of Congress in support of due process reflect broader community concerns about how enforcement actions affect families, workplaces, and neighborhood stability. Immigrant rights groups in the city say the case underscores the need for accessible legal representation and clear communication from authorities about check in requirements and release conditions.

At the international level the case touches on questions about removal to third countries and protections tied to safety concerns in countries of origin. Locally the next milestones to watch are the court hearing on the temporary restraining order and the January criminal trial, both of which will determine Abrego Garcia's legal status and reverberate through Baltimore's immigrant communities.