A federal judge dismissed the criminal case against Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, dealing a significant blow to the Trump administration's deportation campaign. Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr. ruled prosecutors brought charges vindictively after Garcia challenged his wrongful deportation to El Salvador, making him the face of the administration's aggressive immigration policies.

The judge singled out acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for criticism in his 32-page opinion, stating prosecutors reawakened a dormant investigation only after another judge questioned deportations to a notorious Salvadoran prison. This rebuke adds to mounting challenges for Trump's immigration crackdown, already facing scrutiny after federal agents killed protesters in Minnesota.

Garcia's lawyer hailed the decision as a victory for an independent judiciary standing up to the administration. The quote from former Attorney General Robert H. Jackson about prosecutors picking people rather than cases underscored the judge's conclusion. Abrego Garcia remains a free man while still fighting deportation, representing a concrete setback for Trump's immigration agenda.