A federal judge has thrown out criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego, a Salvadoran migrant whose case became a focal point of immigration enforcement efforts during the previous administration.
The judge ruled on Friday that the charges would not have been brought if Abrego had not fought against his removal from the country, effectively dismissing the indictment.
Abrego had entered the country without authorization and later became a high-profile case when he was deported to a large detention facility in El Salvador this past March. His removal occurred despite an existing court directive that prohibited sending him back due to potential persecution risks.
Following a Supreme Court directive requiring the government to bring him back to American soil, Abrego was returned to the United States in June. However, his return came only after federal prosecutors had obtained criminal charges against him for alleged human smuggling activities.
Abrego entered a plea of not guilty to the charges and maintained through his legal team that the prosecution was launched as payback for his lawsuit demanding his return to the United States.
