Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran man mistakenly deported from the US before being returned to face criminal charges, pleaded not guilty to human trafficking and conspiracy charges in Tennessee.

Trump officials accuse him of being an MS-13 gang member, which his lawyers and family deny.

Ábrego García, who first entered the US illegally in 2011 and was granted protection in 2019, was deported in March 2025 by mistake and later brought back to face charges of transporting migrants illegally.

Prosecutors allege he helped move thousands of undocumented migrants across states since 2016.

His lawyers call the case “preposterous” and an “abuse of power,” the BBC has reported.

A judge postponed a decision on his detention before trial.

Written by B.C. Begley