Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took to social media on Friday to express her frustration over Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s release from federal detention.
Abrego Garcia was released from federal custody on Friday and allowed to return home to Maryland to await trial on charges of human smuggling.
The news prompted Noem to make a post on X decrying “activist liberal judges” who have reached ”a new low” by freeing Abrego Garcia.
”Activist liberal judges have attempted to obstruct our law enforcement every step of the way in removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from our country. Today, we reached a new low with this publicity hungry Maryland judge mandating this illegal alien who is a MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator be allowed free,” Noem wrote. Abrego Garcia has not been convicted of any crime, and denies any involvement in MS-13.
”By ordering this monster loose on America’s streets,” Noem continued, ”this judge has shown a complete disregard for the safety of the American people. We will not stop fighting till this Salvadoran man faces justice and is OUT of our country.”
The Trump administration has previously acknowledged that Abrego Garcia was wrongfully deported to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison, but initially refused to return him. He was eventually returned in June and held in custody in Tennessee.
In a filing made on Tuesday, Abrego Garcia’s attorneys wrote, “Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been singled out by the United States government. It is obvious why. And it is not because of the seriousness of his alleged conduct. Nor is it because he poses some unique threat to this country.
”Instead, Mr. Abrego was charged because he refused to acquiesce in the government’s violation of his due process rights.”
While Abrego Garcia is currently at home in Maryland, supporters are worried that he is at risk of being deported to Uganda as part of the Trump administration’s plan to deport immigrants to third countries—that is, a country that is not the U.S. or their country of origin.
Hours after his release on Friday, his attorneys were sent a court-required noice of his potential deportation, CBS News reported. The notice stated that he could be deported ”no earlier than 72 hours from now,” not including the weekend.
The notice, combined with Noem’s incendiary post, suggests that the Trump administration is not interested in complying with the court orders that Abrego Garcia be returned to the U.S. for a fair trial before further deportation proceedings could be initiated.
The Daily Beast has contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
