Hearing on Abrego Garcia Deportation to Liberia Canceled

A scheduled court proceeding regarding the potential deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia was abruptly canceled on Tuesday, leaving the legal dispute in limbo. Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who was wrongfully deported by the Trump administration in 2025, had been scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Attorneys for Abrego Garcia intended to request that the judge block his removal to the West African nation. However, the hearing was delayed by 15 minutes, after which a court official announced its cancellation and the courtroom was cleared.

The case stems from March 2025, when Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador despite a 2019 judicial order prohibiting his removal there due to credible fears of gang violence. The Trump administration had alleged he was a member of the MS-13 gang, a claim he has denied. He was held at the CECOT mega-prison before being returned to the United States in June 2025 to face criminal human smuggling charges.

In March, the administration informed Judge Xinis that Liberia had agreed to accept Abrego Garcia and requested the dissolution of her existing deportation block. Officials stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement could arrange a charter flight within days. Liberia has become a destination for U.S. deportees from Latin America since August, though recent interviews with those sent there revealed individuals feeling stateless and fearful of persecution if they return to their home countries.

Abrego Garcia has identified Costa Rica as his preferred country of removal, and Costa Rican officials have indicated they would grant him refugee status or residency. Despite this, a Justice Department lawyer stated last year that no discussions had taken place regarding deportation to Costa Rica.

The canceled hearing was significant because it would have been the first since a federal judge in Tennessee dismissed the criminal indictment against Abrego Garcia in May, ruling that the prosecution was vindictive. The government appealed that dismissal in August.

In filings prior to Tuesday’s session, Abrego Garcia’s legal team argued that the administration was exploiting immigration powers to punish him for challenging his initial unlawful removal. They noted that the government could have deported him to Costa Rica in August 2025 but chose not to. The administration has also attempted to deport him to Uganda, Eswatini, and Ghana, but none of those nations agreed to take him.

Department of Justice filings urged Judge Xinis to deny the motions, asserting that Abrego Garcia’s claims failed as a matter of law. Abrego Garcia has remained free from ICE custody throughout the proceedings.