A US court on Friday (June 13) ruled that Salvadoran native Kilmar Abrego Garcia would remain under detention for now ahead of his trial on smuggling migrants into the United States.
00:00The family members of Kilmar Abrego-Garcia left a Nashville court after his hearing on Friday on alleged activities of smuggling migrants into the United States.
00:10Judge Barbara Holmes said she would rule at a later date on Abrego-Garcia's bid to be released on bail pending trial.
00:17Abrego-Garcia, who is a Salvadoran national, had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charge.
00:24Before the hearing, the family said Abrego-Garcia should be allowed to return home to be with the family.
00:31Kilmar was taken on March 12th, and it was not until yesterday that I was able to visit him for the first time.
00:42Even though it was through a video screen, I was finally able to see Kilmar.
00:49We should be with our children.
00:51Me and Kilmar's mind is here in Tennessee.
00:55But my heart is in Maryland with my kids.
00:58Our son, Kilmar Jr., is right now in his kindergarten graduation that's taking place right now.
01:06And instead, my son is alone on his big day.
01:10Abrego-Garcia, who is at the center of protests against the U.S. administration's immigration and customs enforcement policies, was wrongfully deported to El Salvador in March due to an administrative error.
01:24But the administration claimed that Abrego-Garcia went into the U.S. illegally and was a member of the MS-13 gang, saying that they would not bring him back.
01:35Earlier this month, the Justice Department brought the 30-year-old back to face his charges in court, with President Donald Trump defending the deportation and decision for his return.
01:46The DOJ made a decision.
01:48I think the decisions have been very, very good.
01:51And maybe they just said, look, all of these people, these judges, they want to try and run the country.
01:56The judges are trying to—a local judge trying to run the country.
01:59The man has a horrible past, and I could see a decision being made, bring him back, show everybody how horrible this guy is.
02:09Abrego-Garcia had been taken into custody in the El Salvador prison, and after receiving the request for his return to the U.S., El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said he would not refuse such a request.
02:21The U.S. administration's decision to bring Abrego-Garcia back is a potential off-ramp from its escalating confrontation with the judiciary over whether it complied with a court order to facilitate Abrego's return.
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