A US federal hearing that could have determined whether Kilmar Ábrego García would be deported to Liberia was abruptly cancelled on Tuesday, leaving the Salvadoran national’s immediate future unresolved.
Ábrego García was present at the District Court for the District of Maryland in Greenbelt, but Judge Paula Xinis did not take the bench. Lawyers for both sides left the courtroom shortly before the scheduled start and held a private conference lasting about 15 minutes before the hearing was called off. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/afdb23db991a16e062679c6955f87798))
No explanation was given in court. Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, one of Ábrego García’s lawyers, said afterwards that proceedings had been “unable to go forward” and that an update was expected to appear on the court docket within days.
Deportation to Liberia remains unresolved
The Trump administration is seeking to overturn a preliminary injunction preventing Immigration and Customs Enforcement from detaining and deporting Ábrego García to Liberia. His legal team is asking the court to make that protection permanent.
Government lawyers have argued in court filings that Liberia is prepared to accept him and that ICE could arrange a charter flight within days if the injunction were lifted. Ábrego García has said he would prefer to be sent to Costa Rica, which has indicated that it would accept him. ([aol.com](https://www.aol.com/articles/judge-weigh-effort-deport-kilmar-133434000.html))
The dispute follows a series of attempts to remove him to countries where he has no established ties. Previous proposals involving Uganda, Eswatini and Ghana did not proceed after those countries failed to agree to accept him, according to court reporting. ([aol.com](https://www.aol.com/articles/judge-weigh-effort-deport-kilmar-133434000.html))
Ábrego García, 31, was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March 2025 despite a 2019 immigration ruling that barred his removal there because he faced threats from a gang. He was held at the CECOT prison before being returned to the United States in June 2025 under pressure from the courts and after federal prosecutors secured a human-smuggling indictment against him.
A judge in Tennessee dismissed that criminal case in May, ruling that the prosecution had been brought to punish Ábrego García for challenging his deportation. The Justice Department has rejected that finding and filed an appeal in August, arguing that the charges were based on evidence and legitimate prosecutorial concerns. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdtn/pr/us-attorneys-office-files-opening-brief-appeal-united-states-v-abrego-garcia))
Supporters gathered outside the Maryland courthouse on Tuesday, while the legal battle over whether Ábrego García can be sent to Liberia continues without a new hearing date.
