• The U.S. will initiate deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia if released from jail before his trial.
• This decision contradicts earlier statements by the White House regarding his trial status.
• Garcia faces smuggling charges amid concerns over potential deportation to a third country.
• A federal judge is overseeing the case amid allegations of wrongful deportation and mistreatment in El Salvador.
• Legal teams argue the case against Garcia is baseless, questioning the government's actions.

The U.S. government plans to initiate deportation proceedings against Kilmar Abrego Garcia if he is released from jail prior to his trial on human smuggling charges in Tennessee, according to Justice Department attorney Jonathan Guynn. This announcement contradicts previous assertions by officials from both the Justice Department and the White House, who indicated that Garcia would face trial and serve time in prison before any deportation action, as noted in reports from latimes, scmp, and huffpost.

During a federal court hearing in Maryland, Guynn stated that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would detain Garcia upon his release and deport him to a "third country," the identity of which is unknown. This action has raised considerable concern among his legal team who argue the administration's actions are chaotic and contradictory, as previously, it was indicated that deportation would follow his legal proceedings, according to statements from latimes and scmp.

Garcia has been described as a victim of the Trump administration's immigration policies, having been previously deported to a dangerous prison in El Salvador, where he reportedly suffered abuse and mistreatment. His lawyers labeled the current charges against him as "baseless" and argued that a jury would find it difficult to convict him, as reported by huffpost.

Recently, the federal court judge, Paula Xinis, expressed her confusion regarding the government's plan to deport Garcia while simultaneously handling his criminal case, indicating a troubling lack of clear communication and legal strategy from the Trump administration. "It’s like trying to nail Jell-O to a wall trying to figure out what’s going to happen next week," she remarked during the proceedings, as stated by latimes, scmp, and huffpost.