Congressman Glenn Ivey’s Statement on the Ruling in Greenbelt Federal Court

WASHINGTON – Congressman Glenn Ivey released the following statement in response to the order directing the immediate release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from ICE custody:

“This administration claims its immigration enforcement priorities are focused on deporting violent drug traffickers and serious criminals. Yet the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia exposes how hollow that promise truly is.

Kilmar is not a trafficker, not a gang member, and not a threat to public safety. He is a hardworking apprentice trying to learn a trade, support his family, and build a stable life in our community. Still, the federal government chose to dedicate its full enforcement power to detain him—while showing leniency toward a former Honduran president implicated in smuggling hundreds of tons of cocaine into the United States. That contradiction is indefensible.

The prolonged detention of Kilmar Abrego Garcia did nothing to make our communities safer. It only tore apart a family and diverted resources away from the very dangers this administration claims it is targeting.

Today’s decision to release Kilmar is a long-overdue correction. If our system can find mercy or political accommodation for individuals at the top of international drug trafficking networks, it must also be capable of fairness and humanity toward a working man whose only goal is to provide for his family.

Congressman Ivey remains committed to fighting for an immigration system that reflects its stated priorities, uses its power responsibly, and refuses to punish families like Kilmar’s while real threats go unchecked.”