Image Credit: Andrew Rice / The Center Square & U.S. Dept of Justice
***Note from The Tennessee Conservative – this article posted here for informational purposes only.
The Center Square [By Kim Jarrett] –
A federal judge dismissed Tennessee charges against a man who, at one time, was at the center of the immigration debate.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was charged with human smuggling in connection with a Tennessee traffic stop. Garcia was driving an SUV with eight passengers. One of the police officers believed that he was smuggling them, remarking that he was “hauling these people for money,” according to a video obtained by The Center Square through an open records request.
U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw called the charges “vindictive” because Abrego Garcia challenged his deportation to El Salvador.
“The objective evidence here shows that, absent Abrego’s successful lawsuit challenging his removal to El Salvador, the Government would not have brought this prosecution,” Crenshaw wrote in his order. “The Executive Branch closed its investigation on the November 2022 traffic stop. Only after Abrego succeeded in vindicating his rights did the Executive Branch reopen that investigation.”
The Trump administration mistakenly deported Abrego Garcia to El Salvador in March 2025 due to an administrative error, according to previous reporting from The Center Square. Prior to that, Abrego Garcia was living in Maryland and had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in MS-13 in 2019, after immigrating illegally to the United States as a teenager with his parents around 2011. Officials prepared to deport Abrego Garcia then, but an immigration judge granted him “withholding of removal,” believing his life would be in danger if he were returned to El Salvador.
The Department of Justice did not immediately return a message from The Center Square about the case.
One Response
This one guy’s case has racked up serious taxpayer costs across the board….. deportation flight, months in El Salvador’s CECOT prison (under the U.S. $6 million/year deal with Bukele, roughly $20k per detainee annually), emergency lawsuits all the way to the Supreme Court, multiple federal hearings in Maryland and Tennessee, detention upon return, appeals, prosecutorial resources, etc. Legal saga (wrongful deportation suit, SCOTUS fight, smuggling case defense/prosecution): Easily hundreds of thousands in attorney time, court resources, and government lawyer hours.
Detention & transport: ICE flights, U.S. detention time, and payments to El Salvador.
Total for this single high-profile mess: Likely nearing or exceeding $1 million when you add everything up (direct + indirect government costs). High-profile cases like this burn through money fast with all the emergency motions and appeals.
And now the smuggling charges got dropped on “vindictive prosecution” grounds by the Obama-appointed judge — so the whole cycle was largely wasted effort on top of the original screw-up. This is exactly why people are pissed: one illegal immigrant with alleged gang flags and a suspicious smuggling stop generates a million-dollar legal circus, endless headlines, and zero final resolution on enforcement. Multiply that by thousands of similar cases and you see the real waste. The system rewards lawfare while regular Americans foot the bill. Here’s a realistic, itemized cost breakdown for the Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia case based on available public data, standard government rates, and the timeline (wrongful deportation in March 2025, return ~June 2025, charges, dismissal in May 2026). No single official “total taxpayer cost” figure has been released, so this is a reasoned estimate.
Deportation to El Salvador (March 2025) ICE Air/charter flight costs: Typically, $8,500–$17,000 per flight hour. Mass deportation flights can run $100k–$800k+ depending on aircraft and distance. For his flight: ~$150,000–$300,000 (part of a larger operation).
Subtotal: ~$200,000 (conservative share).
Detention in El Salvador’s CECOT Prison U.S.–El Salvador deal: $6 million per year for a batch of detainees (~$20,000 per person per year).
Abrego Garcia was held for roughly 2–3 months (deported March, returned June 2025).
Prorated cost: ~$3,300–$5,000 directly attributable, but the U.S. paid into the larger contract regardless.
U.S. Legal Proceedings (Civil Wrongful Deportation Lawsuit)Federal court hearings, emergency motions, appeals up to Supreme Court, compliance fights.
Government attorney hours (DOJ/DHS), court resources, filings: High-profile cases like this easily burn $200,000–$500,000+ in taxpayer-funded legal work.
His private/crowdfunded attorneys also generated significant government response costs.
Subtotal: $300,000–$600,000.
Return Flight & Re-Detention in U.S. Special return flight from El Salvador: $100,000–$250,000 (diplomatic/charter).
U.S. ICE detention (Tennessee/Maryland, multiple months): Average ~$152 per day (recent 2025 figures). For 4–6+ months: $18,000–$30,000+.
Criminal Smuggling Case (Tennessee)Federal prosecution: Grand jury, indictment, hearings, discovery, appeals.
DOJ prosecutors, federal defenders/judges, detention during proceedings: $150,000–$400,000 (high-profile vindictive prosecution fight with motions and rulings).
Dismissed May 2026 with no trial.
Total Estimated Taxpayer Cost: $800,000 – $1.5+ Million Low-end realistic: ~$800k–$1 million
High-end (including overhead, multiple appeals, full contract shares): Easily $1.2–2 million.
This excludes indirect costs like congressional Margareta drinking trips, media/political fallout, or opportunity costs. One guy’s messy case with alleged gang flags, a suspicious 2022 smuggling stop, and years of prior proceedings turned into a million-dollar-plus circus of lawsuits, flights, and detentions. Multiply similar inefficiencies across thousands of cases and you see why immigration enforcement feels so expensive and frustrating to many. The “vindictive prosecution” dismissal just added more legal fees on top without resolution. Classic example of the Democrats hoaxing/lying system tying itself in legal knots.