United States: A judge dismisses charges against a Salvadoran migrant, deeming it a "political vendetta" by the Trump administration

A US federal judge on Friday dismissed the indictment against Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia, ruling that the prosecution was an abuse of power and a form of retaliation by the president's administration. Donald Trump.

According to the decision by Nashville-based federal judge Waverly Crenshaw, the U.S. Department of Justice reopened an investigation against the man after a 2022 traffic stop, then secured his indictment in an attempt to justify his return to the United States after a controversial deportation to El Salvador.

The magistrate believes that the evidence presented to the court demonstrates "an abuse of power in the prosecution process." He adds that without the legal action initiated by Abrego Garcia to contest his deportation, the administration would not have opened this criminal case.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia had become a symbol of Donald Trump's strict immigration policies after his deportation to a mega-prison in El Salvador in March, despite an earlier court ruling barring his return due to a risk of persecution.

Faced with this situation, the United States Supreme Court ordered the government to facilitate his return to the United States. Prosecutors then revived charges related to a human trafficking case dating back to 2022, allowing for his extradition to stand trial in the United States in 2025.

The migrant pleaded not guilty, claiming the charges were motivated by retaliation for his legal challenge to his deportation order. His lawyers welcomed the judge's decision, hailing it as a victory for judicial independence.

The US Department of Justice, however, announced its intention to appeal, denouncing a decision deemed "erroneous and dangerous" and accusing the judge of having prioritized political considerations over public safety.

This case reignites the debate in the United States on the limits of executive power in matters of immigration and on the growing tensions between the Trump administration and certain segments of the judiciary.