Wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a mistakenly deported Maryland man, pleads for husband's return

The wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who immigration officials said was mistakenly deported to a prison in El Salvador, is pleading with the Trump administration to "stop playing political games" and bring her husband home.

Abrego Garcia was taken into ICE custody on March 12 after leaving his sheet metal apprenticeship in Baltimore and was headed home to Prince George's County, Maryland, to see his family. He was flown to El Salvador with more than 200 other migrants who are now confined at the notorious Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT.

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said on Monday during a trip to the White House that he would not release Abrego Garcia.

"I find myself pleading with the Trump administration and the Bukele administration to stop playing political games with the life of Kilmar," said Jennifer Vasquez Sura, who is the wife of Abrego Garcia. "Our family is torn apart during this scary time. our children miss their dad so much."

Vasquez Sura pleaded for the return of her husband before a hearing on Tuesday in Greenbelt, Maryland. She said the fight will not end until Abrego Garcia is back in Maryland.

"We will continue to fight back against these governments," Vasquez Sure said. "We will never give up on you, Kilmar."

Vasquez Sura described her husband as a hard worker who was trying to give his family a better life in the United States.

In 2019, Abrego Garcia was granted legal protection that forbade immigration authorities from removing him to his home country.

"He has dedicated himself to making his family's American dream a reality," Vasquez Sura said. "That dream was shattered on March 12 when he was abducted and disappeared by the United States government in front of our 5-year-old child."

Vasquez Sura ended her message, saying, "Enough is enough" to the administrations playing a role in Abrego Garcia's deportation.

"Kilmar needs to come home, and it's time we see how it will be fulfilled," Vasquez Sura said. "My family can't be robbed of another day of not seeing Kilmar."

Judge does not tolerate "gamesmanship"

At Tuesday's hearing, federal judge Paul Xinis called out the Department of Justice for not complying with her order to facilitate the release of Abrego Garcia. 

"We have to give process to both sides, but we're going to move," Xinish said. "There will be no tolerance for gamesmanship or grandstanding."

Xinis says she is weighing contempt proceedings against the Trump administration, saying no evidence has been presented that they are working to facilitate Abrego Garcia's. The judge ordered depositions to be completed by April 23, when she will then review the evidence the administration submits before ruling on the matter.

Xinis ordered officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the State Department, and the Department of Homeland Security to sit for the depositions, and for the administration to hand over documents by the end of the month to see what steps it has taken to comply with her order.

According to CBS News, Drew Ensign, a Justice Department attorney, said that the Trump administration would facilitate Abrego Garcia's return if he arrived at a port of entry, and continued to dodge straightforward questions on what the Trump administration is doing, if anything, to return the man.

Joseph Mazzarra, acting general counsel of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a filing shortly before the hearing that if Abrego Garcia does show up at a port of entry, he would be detained by the Department of Homeland Security and either removed to a third country or be stripped of a legal protection, CBS News reports.

"We have not brought Kilmer home, but we have been able to at least secure that we will be able to question those involved and get information, get evidence as required and requested. So even though today, we don't have an order of contempt or anything that some, uh, in the press have been calling for. This is still a win, and this is still progress in the case," said Rina Gandhi, wjpho is representing Abrego Garcia.

Maryland senator headed to El Salvador

Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen said he is traveling to El Salvador on Wednesday to check on Abrego Garcia.

"Following his abduction and unlawful deportation, U.S. federal courts have ordered the safe return of my constituent Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States," Van Hollen said in a statement. "It should be a priority of the U.S. government to secure his safe release, which is why tomorrow I am traveling to El Salvador. My hope is to visit Kilmar and check on his well-being and to hold constructive conversations with government officials around his release. We must urgently continue working to return Kilmar safely home to Maryland."

Alleged gang affiliation

ICE officials and the Trump administration claim that Abrego Garcia was a danger to the community and was an active gang member in MS-13.

According to Abrego Garcia's attorneys, the only evidence of his alleged gang ties stems from a confidential witness and the fact that he was wearing a Chicago Bulls hat and a hoodie at the time of his arrest.

According to CBS News, El Salvador President Bukele described Abrego Garcia as a "terrorist," and added, "I don't have the power over the United States."

Abrego Garcia's wife and attorneys deny any affiliation with the MS-13 gang.