The Trump administration is asking a federal court to allow the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia, arguing that the legal barriers preventing his removal have been resolved. The Justice Department has asked U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis to lift an existing injunction and permit the government to remove Abrego Garcia to Liberia. Prosecutors argue that his claims that he would face persecution there are legally insufficient and should not prevent his removal.
The case is part of a continuing legal battle over Abrego Garcia’s immigration status and where he can be sent. He was previously deported to El Salvador in 2025 before a federal court ordered the government to facilitate his return to the United States. He is now challenging efforts to send him to Liberia and has sought removal to Costa Rica instead.
The Justice Department has separately pursued a criminal case against Abrego Garcia involving allegations of human smuggling. In August, federal prosecutors appealed a district court decision dismissing that case and asked the Sixth Circuit to reinstate the charges. The government maintains that the prosecution was based on evidence and was not retaliatory.
Third-Country Deportation Agreements
The proposed deportation to Liberia comes as the United States expands agreements allowing certain migrants to be removed to countries other than their countries of citizenship. In August, the first group of deportees under a new U.S.-Liberia arrangement arrived in Monrovia. Liberia has agreed to accept as many as 1,200 third-country nationals over a 12-month period.
The Abrego Garcia case is likely to remain closely watched because it raises broader questions about third-country deportations, judicial oversight and the limits of executive immigration authority. For now, the Justice Department is asking the court to clear the way for his removal to Liberia. Abrego Garcia continues to challenge that outcome in court, meaning the final decision remains with the judiciary.