A US judge has dismissed a criminal indictment against Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran man who was deported to a notorious anti-terrorism prison in El Salvador in March 2025. The judge ruled that the Trump administration would not have prosecuted him had he not challenged his high-profile deportation.
Ábrego was among 260 people sent to the Cecot mega-prison despite a federal judge's order halting the flights and allegations of human rights abuses. The administration later admitted the deportation was an administrative error. Ábrego was returned to the US in June 2025 after the Supreme Court ordered his repatriation, but was then charged with human smuggling based on a 2022 traffic stop.
In his ruling, Judge Waverly David Crenshaw Jr found evidence of 'presumptive vindictiveness', citing the timing of the indictment and statements by top justice officials. While he did not find 'actual vindictiveness', he concluded the case was tainted and ordered the charges dismissed.
Ábrego's attorneys argued the prosecution was retaliation for his lawsuit against the government. 'We have said from day one that this case was nothing more than a political vendetta,' said Ama Frimpong of We Are Casa, the immigrant rights group representing him. 'Today's dismissal proves that our people-powered movement will not back down.'
