Kilmar Abrego Garcia reports being tortured and beaten while imprisoned in El Salvador.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Maryland resident, has recently filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, detailing his traumatic experiences following a mistaken deportation to El Salvador. Abrego Garcia was arrested on March 12, 2025, in Baltimore, and subsequently deported on March 15, an action attributed to an administrative error. Since his return to the United States on June 6, he has come forward with alarming accusations pertaining to his treatment at the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador.

In an amended complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland, Abrego Garcia alleges that during his incarceration, he was subjected to extreme forms of abuse, including sleep deprivation, psychological torture, and physical assaults. According to his account, upon disembarking from the aircraft that transported him to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia was violently pushed down stairs by law enforcement officers. He claims that he was subsequently forced onto a bus where he suffered repeated strikes for attempting to lift his head.

Upon his arrival at the notorious maximum-security facility, the complaint details that he was met with a brutal initiation process. Officers allegedly kicked him in the legs, struck him on the head, and forced him to strip naked before donning prison clothing. Following this, he endured further maltreatment, including being “frog-marched” to his cell while being beaten with wooden batons.

Abrego Garcia’s allegations extend to inhumane living conditions. He asserts that he and approximately 20 other detainees were compelled to kneel for extended periods, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., with guards using violence against those who fell due to exhaustion. During this time, he was denied adequate bathroom access, leading to degradation and distress.

For roughly four weeks, he remained in an overcrowded cell devoid of mattresses or natural light, exposed to constant harsh lighting. The cell had only two basins for washing and two open toilets shared among inmates. This grueling existence contributed further to his claims of severe physical and psychological distress.

The gravity of his situation escalates with the revelation of his recent indictment on charges of illegally transporting undocumented immigrants. Abrego Garcia’s legal representative, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, has criticized the government’s actions harshly, characterizing them as an abuse of power rather than an effort for justice. Sandoval-Moshenberg accuses the previous administration of violating a court order by detaining his client in a foreign prison without due process. The attorney asserts that the government’s return of Abrego Garcia to the U.S. is not a rectification of its prior mistake but rather an act of prosecution against him.

As this case unfolds, it raises significant implications regarding the treatment of deportees and the legal responsibilities of immigration authorities, spotlighting the urgent need for reforms in immigration policies and practices.