US District Judge Waverly Crenshaw ruled the Trump administration's prosecution was vindictive, finding the case would not have been brought absent Abrego Garcia's successful challenge to his wrongful deportation.
7:13 AM
A federal judge in Tennessee on Friday dismissed human smuggling charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant whose mistaken deportation by the Trump administration became a flashpoint in the government's immigration crackdown.
U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw ruled that the Justice Department's prosecution of Abrego Garcia was vindictive, finding that prosecutors would not have brought the case had he not successfully challenged his removal to El Salvador. "The evidence before this Court sadly reflects an abuse of prosecuting power," Crenshaw wrote in a 32-page order granting Abrego Garcia's motion to dismiss.
Abrego Garcia was wrongfully deported to El Salvador in March 2025 and sent to Cecot, a notorious anti-terrorism mega-prison. He returned to the United States in June after the government acknowledged the deportation was a mistake. Following his return, federal prosecutors charged him with human smuggling related to a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee, during which he was found to have several people in his car. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The charges stemmed from an alleged conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants from Texas to Maryland. However, Crenshaw determined that the Department of Justice only reopened its investigation into human smuggling after Abrego Garcia filed his lawsuit challenging his deportation.
"The Court does not reach its conclusion lightly," Crenshaw wrote. "The objective evidence here shows that, absent Abrego's successful lawsuit challenging his removal to El Salvador, the Government would not have initiated this criminal proceeding."
Crenshaw had previously ruled that Abrego Garcia had demonstrated the prosecution may be vindictive, placing the burden on the government to rebut that presumption. In Friday's decision, the judge concluded that prosecutors failed to meet that burden.
Abrego Garcia responded to the ruling with a statement: "Justice is a big word and an even bigger promise to fulfill; and I am grateful that today, justice has taken a step forward." He also thanked God, his attorneys, We Are Casa, and supporters who continued to back his fight for justice.
The dismissal represents a significant legal victory for Abrego Garcia in a case that drew national attention due to his high-profile wrongful deportation and the circumstances surrounding his return to the United States.
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