Kilmar Abrego Garcia's speech before being arrested goes viral - this is what he said

Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia's immigration case has become one of the most talked-about in the past few months. In March, the Maryland father was wrongly sent to El Salvador. He was then sent back to the US, where he was charged with more crimes and threatened with deportation again.

His story has gotten a lot of attention across the country, not just because of the legal issues but also because of how it has affected his family. Abrego's case has shown how strict the Trump administration is about enforcing immigration laws and how scared many immigrant families are.


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Who is Kilmar Ábrego García?

When Ábrego was a teenager, the Barrio 18 gang threatened his family, so he ran away from El Salvador. He finally settled in Maryland in 2011. He worked in construction, started a family, and lived with the government watching over him while he worked. Even though he had no criminal record in the U.S. or El Salvador, police accused him of being a member of MS-13 in 2019. The claims were based on clothing and what an informant said, but Ábrego has always denied being in a gang.

A judge said he couldn't be sent back to El Salvador because he could get death threats from Barrio 18. He followed ICE's check-in rules for years and was still allowed to work, as per a report by The Independent.

Why did he have to go back to El Salvador?

In March 2024, federal agents stopped Ábrego and said that his protected status had changed. Days later, he was sent back to El Salvador and put in jail in the country's huge CECOT facility, which can hold up to 40,000 prisoners. The Trump administration called MS-13 a foreign terrorist group and used the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to do this, as per a report by The NY Post.

Later, Ábrego said that he was beaten and mentally abused while in prison, but Salvadoran officials say this is not true. Later, his removal was called an "administrative error," and the Supreme Court told him to go back to the U.S. He came back in June, but he was charged with human smuggling in connection with a traffic stop in 2022. His lawyers say this is selective prosecution.

Why is Uganda now involved in his deportation case?

A U.S. magistrate said that Ábrego could stay free while he waited for his trial, but ICE quickly arrested him again. Officials told him that he could be sent back to Uganda, a country where he has no family, friends, or history. His lawyers say that ICE gave him another choice: plead guilty to smuggling charges and go to Costa Rica, as per a report The Independent.


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Kilmar Abrego Garcia's viral speech before being arrested

Abrego showed up at the Baltimore federal building on Monday for his scheduled immigration check-in. He was wearing a polo shirt, jeans, and sneakers, and his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, and brother, Cesar, were with him.

Speaking at a rally before surrendering to ICE early Monday, Abrego told the crowd: “Brothers and sisters, my name is Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and I want you to remember this: remember that I am free, and I was able to be reunited with my family, " as per a report by The New York Times.



He spoke to a crowd of supporters outside who were cheering him on, even though he was nervous.

"When I was detained I remembered memories with my family, going to the park with them, and going to the trampoline with my children." "Those moments will continue to give me hope to continue to continue in this fight."

"To all the families that have been separated and to all the families who have been threatened with family separation, this administration has hit us all hard." Adding " but I want to tell you guys something. God is with us and god will never leave us. God will bring justice to all the injustices that we have suffered."

"With our community by our side and with our families by our side, love will triumph."

"Never lose hope."

"You will once again see your family too, regardless of what happens here today."

"In my ICE checking, promise me that you will continue to pray, continue to fight, resist and love not just for me but for everybody, and continue to demand freedom," as stated in a video by CNN.

His voice broke a few times, but he told the crowd that his case was a symbol of the bigger problems that immigrant families are having right now.

The fight over what will happen to Kilmar Ábrego García is not over yet. His family and supporters say his case is a sad example of too much power, but MAGA-aligned officials say it is a test of strength. His story is now at the crossroads of law, politics, and human rights.

FAQs

What was the reason for Kilmar Ábrego García's first deportation?
He was sent to a huge prison in El Salvador by mistake because he was accused of having ties to MS-13, even though he had never been in trouble with the law before.

Why is he now going to Uganda?
ICE has said they will send him there after he is released from federal custody, even though he has no ties to the country.