Abrego Garcia requests gag order on Bondi, Noem

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who is awaiting trial on charges of human smuggling, on Thursday asked a federal judge to issue a gag order preventing U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from making statements that could prejudice his trial. The request also asked for a similar ban on all Department of Homeland Security and Justice Department officials involved in the case. Abrego Garcia is a Salvadoran man whose high-profile deportation to El Salvador earlier this year was eventually reversed when he was brought back in June to face the charges.

What kind of statements are we talking about? One of the statements referenced in Abrego Garcia’s request was a Monday X post from Noem, who referred to him as an MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator—all of which are allegations he denies. The White House also published an artistic image of Abrego Garcia labeling him as a member of MS-13. Repeated similar statements from government officials could taint a jury pool and prevent witnesses from testifying in his case, Abrego Garcia’s lawyers said in the Thursday request.

U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw in Nashville had not yet issued a decision on the request as of Friday at noon. While waiting for the human smuggling trial, Abrego Garcia is also planning to apply for asylum in the United States and fighting a possible deportation to Uganda.

Dig deeper: Read my previous report on Abrego Garcia’s planned asylum request and a judge’s order delaying his deportation.