Kilmar Abrego Garcia's lawyers asked a federal judge in Tennessee on Thursday to prohibit top Trump officials from making remarks about their client that could bias the jury against him.
The attorneys said that administration officials have repeatedly accused Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national facing human smuggling charges, of being a criminal gang member and made other negative claims about him that pose a "substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing this proceeding."
The attorneys pointed to numerous recent instances, including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem calling Abrego Garcia an "MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator."
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was deported to El Salvador earlier this year, and his wife Jennifer Vasquez Sura, left, arrive for a check-in at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Baltimore, Maryland, US, on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025 (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"She also called Mr. Abrego a ‘monster,’" the attorneys wrote.
This is the second time Abrego Garcia's attorneys have asked the judge to rein in statements from the administration. The judge previously responded by reminding the government to follow all typical rules and procedures of prosecutions, which include avoiding making prejudicial statements outside of court.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.