Obama judge rules ICE can’t detain ‘Maryland Man’ again

A federal judge appointed by former President Barack Obama has issued a ruling protecting Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis accused President Donald Trump’s administration of attempting to “rewrite the history of this case” and barred Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from placing Abrego Garcia back in immigration detention.

“Xinis said that although all parties had agreed to a retroactive correction of the record in Abrego Garcia’s immigration case, that ‘the ‘removal period’ for which Abrego Garcia’s detention had been compelled was over long ago,'” The Hill reported. 

“Respondents’ reading would also conveniently erase this last year of Abrego Garcia’s Detention,” she said, explaining that the “Maryland Man” had been in custody for a long period of time, including his deportation to El Salvador. She added that the administration “cannot alter substantive rights or rewrite history.”

“And since August 2025, Respondents have refused to procure Abrego Garcia’s immediate removal to Costa Rica in favor of phantom removals to three (maybe four) African countries. Indeed, since Abrego Garcia secured his release from criminal custody in August 2025, Respondents have made one empty threat after another to remove him to countries in Africa with no real chance of success,” Xinis added. “At the same time, Respondents purposely—and for no reason—ignored the one country that has consistently offered to accept Abrego Garcia as a refugee, and to which he agrees to go.”

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