Kristi Noem Outlines Next Steps for MS-13 Gang Member After ICE Arrest

The Biden-era free pass for violent criminals is officially over. Thanks to President Donald Trump’s decisive leadership and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s firm stance, the United States is removing a dangerous individual from American soil.

Illegal alien Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a notorious MS-13 gang member described by officials as a human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator, was taken into custody Monday after an immigration check-in. He is now awaiting deportation.

“Today, ICE law enforcement arrested Kilmar Abrego Garcia and are processing him for deportation,” Secretary Noem announced in a statement posted to X.

“President Trump is not going to allow this illegal alien, who is an MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator to terrorize American citizens any longer,” she added.

Garcia, nicknamed the “Maryland Man” by sympathetic media outlets, had been released from federal custody on Friday with instructions to appear in court on Monday. Following the Baltimore check-in, Immigration and Customs Enforcement immediately detained him again — a move that sent a strong message that the Trump administration is serious about protecting Americans.

His lawyers, however, expressed outrage. Attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg told NBC News, “There was no need to take him into ICE detention. The only reason they took him into detention was to punish him.”

In reality, what critics call “punishment” is the long-overdue enforcement of immigration law.

Before his detention, Garcia addressed a crowd of supporters at a press briefing, portraying himself as a victim rather than the criminal that federal authorities identify him as. Speaking in Spanish, he said:

“My name is Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and I want you to remember this, remember that I am free and I was able to be reunited with my family. This was a miracle. Thank you to God and thank you to the community. I want to thank each and every one of you who marched, lift your voices, never stop praying and continue to fight in my name.”

But his so-called “miracle” was short-lived. According to CNN, the Department of Homeland Security notified his attorneys that Garcia could be deported to Uganda as early as this week.

“Let this email serve as notice that DHS may remove your client, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, to Uganda no earlier than 72 hours from now (absent weekends),” the notice read.

His lawyer quickly cried “retaliation,” claiming, “The government’s decision to send Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda makes it painfully clear that they are using the immigration system to punish him for exercising his constitutional rights. There is a perfectly reasonable option available, Costa Rica… but instead they are attempting to send him halfway across the world.”

Notably, Garcia had rejected a plea deal last week that would have allowed deportation to Costa Rica — a country far more convenient for his family. He chose instead to fight the charges and now faces deportation to Uganda, where the Trump administration intends to ensure he cannot return to harm American citizens.

The bottom line is simple: under President Trump, violent gang members, abusers, and predators will not be allowed to exploit America’s weak immigration system. Garcia’s case is just the beginning of a broader crackdown designed to restore law and order.