DOJ agrees to keep Abrego Garcia in custody for at least 30 days

Published July 21, 2025 12:19pm ET



The Justice Department and attorneys for Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia reached an agreement Sunday to keep him in U.S. criminal custody in Tennessee for 30 days, temporarily delaying the Trump administration’s plans to deport him to a third country such as Mexico or South Sudan upon his release.

In a filing to U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw, defense attorneys said the short-term stay would allow Abrego Garcia time to evaluate his legal options before possibly being transferred from federal criminal custody to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for removal proceedings. Crenshaw is weighing whether to reverse a magistrate judge’s prior decision to allow Abrego Garcia to be released ahead of his trial early next year.

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