Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland father who was wrongly deported to El Salvador and later brought back to the U.S. before facing new deportation efforts, was transferred to a central Pennsylvania detention center Friday morning, his attorneys said.
Abrego, 30, was taken to the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg, according to federal court documents filed by his attorneys. They said Immigration and Customs Enforcement notified them of the transfer earlier in the day.
ICE directed questions to the Department of Homeland Security, where Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed Saturday that Abrego was transferred.
Abrego had been held in Virginia. On Sept. 19, his attorneys filed a status report, saying that holding him at the Farmville Detention Center there “placed substantial burdens on the defense’s ability to meet with Mr. Abrego and properly prepare for trial.”
The court documents state that an ICE official told Abrego that the transfer to Pennsylvania would allow his attorneys “greater access to him.” But Abrego’s lawyers said it is “not yet clear whether that is true.”
His attorneys argued that travel to Moshannon is far more difficult for the defense team based in Nashville, and no easier for the team based in New York than travel to Farmville.
Sean Hecker, one of Abrego’s attorneys, declined to comment on Saturday.
In the filing, Abrego’s attorneys also raised concerns about the Pennsylvania facility, citing reports of a detainee who died last month, as well as “assaults, inadequate medical care, and insufficient food.” They described the conditions at Moshannon as “deeply concerning.”
“We are submitting this notice to explain to the Court why a motion regarding difficulties meeting with Mr. Abrego at Farmville is not being promptly filed, and we will update the Court once there is more visibility into Mr. Abrego’s access to counsel and ability to prepare for trial at Moshannon,” the filing states.
Abrego was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March, then brought back to the U.S. months later. He now faces charges and new deportation efforts amid the Trump administration’s claims that he is a member of the Salvadoran gang MS-13 and should not be allowed to stay in the country. In August, immigration authorities said they intend to deport him to Uganda, a country to which he has no ties.
His attorneys and family deny that Abrego has any gang connections and said they believe he is being punished for fighting for his constitutional rights. They have demanded his release and are seeking to stop his deportation.
