The federal government is reportedly pressuring Kilmar Abrego Garcia to accept a guilty plea or face deportation to Uganda, according to his attorneys. Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man, was wrongfully deported in March but was later returned to the United States to face human smuggling charges. He was released from criminal custody in Tennessee and returned to Maryland on Friday.

After Abrego Garcia declined an offer to be deported to Costa Rica in exchange for pleading guilty to the charges, his attorneys claim that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) informed them of a potential deportation to Uganda. They stated that he was ordered to report to ICE's Baltimore office on Monday.

The situation escalated after the government indicated on Thursday that if Abrego Garcia agreed to extend his stay and plead guilty to both counts of the indictment, they would guarantee his deportation to Costa Rica. On the same day, the Costa Rican government communicated to the U.S. embassy that it would accept Abrego Garcia after he completes any criminal sentence in the U.S.

However, following his refusal to extend the stay and subsequent release, his attorneys allege that the government reacted with anger. They stated, "Despite having requested and received assurances from the government of Costa Rica that Mr. Abrego would be accepted there, within minutes of his release from pretrial custody, an ICE representative informed Mr. Abrego's counsel that the government intended to deport Mr. Abrego to Uganda."

On Friday evening, after Abrego Garcia's release, his attorneys reported that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) informed him he had until Monday morning to accept a plea deal for deportation to Costa Rica, or the offer would be permanently withdrawn. His attorneys argued, "There can be only one interpretation of these events: the DOJ, DHS, and ICE are using their collective powers to force Mr. Abrego to choose between a guilty plea followed by relative safety, or rendition to Uganda, where his safety and liberty would be under threat."

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment regarding the situation. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem criticized Abrego Garcia's release, stating, "Today, we reached a new low with this publicity-hungry Maryland judge mandating this illegal alien who is a MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator be allowed free."

Abrego Garcia's trial for the human smuggling charges is scheduled to begin on January 27, 2027.