Kilmar Abrego Garcia was detained by United States immigration authorities in Baltimore on Monday.

The 30-year-old faces the possibility of being deported to Uganda, bearing the brunt of US President Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies.

Abrego Garcia, a Maryland construction worker, was wrongly deported in March to a prison in his native El Salvador. Following his return to the US in June, he was charged with human smuggling.

The Trump administration is attempting to deport Abrego Garcia before his trial in Tennessee begins, as they allege he is a danger to the community and a gang member.

ICE officials say they intend to deport Abrego Garcia to Uganda as he declined an offer to be sent to Costa Rica in exchange for pleading guilty to the smuggling charges. 

Human smuggling charges stem from traffic stop

The human smuggling charges were filed following a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee for speeding.

Abrego Garcia had nine passengers in the car and officers allegedly discussed their suspicions of smuggling before allowing him to go with just a warning.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges on his return to the US this June and asked the judge to dismiss the case on the grounds of vindictive prosecution.

After challenging his deportation to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia has said the new charges are an attempt to punish him.

Although he was eligible for pretrial release in July, his lawyers requested he was allowed to remain in jail as they feared the Trump administration would seek to deport him again. He was released from jail on Friday.