Judge sets trial date for Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Judge Waverly Crenshaw cancelled the pending trial of Salvadoran citizen Kilmar Abrego Garcia and scheduled a hearing for January 28 to assess whether prosecutors are acting vindictively.
Abrego was deported to El Salvador in March 2025 under a Trump‑era order, returned to the United States in June after a court mandate, and faced a human‑smuggling indictment in Tennessee.
He denies the charges and says the prosecution is selectively targeting him; prosecutors must explain their reasoning at the hearing, and failure could result in dismissal.
In a 2022 traffic stop, nine passengers rode with Abrego while officers suspected smuggling; he was allowed to continue driving after a warning, and the investigation was launched only after a Supreme Court ruling.
A protection order previously granted Abrego due to gang threats allowed him to live and work in the U.S. under ICE supervision; he has a wife, a child, and no criminal record, but his attorneys and the U.S. attorney’s office have not commented.