Judge dismisses criminal case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia

A US judge has dismissed the criminal case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported to a megaprison in El Salvador last year. Abrego Garcia, whose deportation became a major flashpoint in the debate over the Trump administration's immigration agenda, returned to the US in June after the government admitted it had wrongfully sent him back to his native country.After his return, federal prosecutors charged him with human smuggling over a 2022 incident in Tennessee where he was found to have several people in his car during a traffic stop. He pleaded not guilty.On Friday, the federal judge dismissed the case and said Abrego Garcia had been charged for political reasons."The Court does not reach its conclusion lightly," US District Judge Waverly Crenshaw wrote in her opinion. She said the case was only launched to justify the government's decision to deport the 30 year old. The judge also said the Trump administration had failed to rebut the "presumption of vindictiveness"."The objective evidence here shows that, absent Abrego's successful lawsuit challenging his removal to El Salvador, the government would not have brought this prosecution," the Tennessee judge said."The Executive Branch closed its investigation on the November 2022 traffic stop. Only after Abrego succeeded in vindicating his rights did the Executive Branch reopen that investigation," the opinion reads.