A federal judge in Tennessee dismissed human-smuggling charges against Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia after ruling the US government brought the case in retaliation for his legal fight against being deported. The ruling marks a rare judicial rebuke of prosecutorial intent in an immigration enforcement case.

Abrego Garcia had been fighting deportation through legal channels before the human-smuggling charges were filed against him. The judge concluded the timing and circumstances pointed to retaliation rather than legitimate prosecution. That finding suggests federal prosecutors may face scrutiny when cases appear linked to a defendant's immigration appeals.

For immigration policy, the dismissal signals that aggressive enforcement tactics can backfire when judges examine prosecutorial motives. The case puts pressure on how government officials pursue deportation cases against migrants who resist removal through legal means.