After 160 days of separation, Kilmar Abrego Garcia was finally reunited with his wife, children and family Friday — but the joy is clouded by the looming threat of deportation.
Abrego Garcia was released from custody in Tennessee, allowing him to return home to Maryland.
But on Saturday, immigration officials said they intend to deport him to Uganda after he declined an offer to be sent to Costa Rica in exchange for remaining in jail and pleading guilty to human smuggling charges, according to a court filing.
Jossie Flor Sapunar of CASA, which has been providing legal assistance to Abrego Garcia and his family, described the moment as “bittersweet.”
Abrego Garcia is “hugging and kissing his little kids, which is beautiful,” she told WTOP, but warned that “at any time, he could be grabbed by ICE and disappeared again to another country.”
“The joy is here, but it’s agonizing knowing he faces that deportation threat,” she said in an interview.
According to Sapunar, the Trump administration had signaled potential plans to deport Abrego Garcia on Friday, adding that federal officials appear determined to “cover up their error in sending him out of the country by mistake.”
“Unfortunately, nothing we have seen so far gives us the lasting optimism that Kilmar’s reunification with his family will be permanent,” she said.
Despite the uncertainty, Sapunar credited “pure, relentless activism” for Abrego Garcia’s temporary return.
“Everyday people fighting for Kilmar to be a household name” helped pressure officials into allowing his reunification, she said. CASA and supporters plan to continue the campaign to “keep Kilmar home.”
For now, the family is focused on reclaiming lost time — birthdays, anniversaries and everyday moments they missed during Abrego Garcia’s absence. “No moment will be wasted,” Sapunar said, though she acknowledged the “dark cloud” of possible deportation still hangs over them.
“Truly, it’s bittersweet,” she said.
The legal fight continues as Garcia awaits further court proceedings.
Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that the Trump administration will not stop fighting until Abrego Garcia is out of the U.S.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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