El Salvador migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia was suspected of human trafficking in 2022, according to Department of Homeland Security records. The 29-year-old has been at the center of a legal battle over the Trump administration's immigration policy since he was deported to his homeland last month, despite an order protecting him from removal. Prosecutors allege he is a member of the notorious MS-13 gang, which he staunchly denies. Several courts have ruled that he was deported in error and have called for his return to the US, but the Trump administration has held firm in its allegations. Now Fox News ' Bill Melugin has obtained bodycam footage and documents from the DHS which show that Abrego Garcia was pulled over by Tennessee Highway Patrol and suspected of human trafficking. The father-of-three was stopped with eight people in his car and told officers he was driving them from Texas to Maryland for a construction job, per the report. However, none of the passengers had any luggage and all stated their address was the same as Abrego Garcia's, who was also evasive under questioning according to the officer. 'Subject attempted pretended to speak less English than he was capable of and and attempted to put he encountering officer off by responding to questions by asking questions,' the document states. The exchange led the officer to, 'suspect this was a human trafficking incident', according to the report. But Abrego Garcia was let go with out any arrest or charge, despite having an expired license, per the document. The report bares yesterday's date due to redactions required prior to its release, Melugin said. Abrego Garcia's lawyers say he has never been charged with or convicted of, any crime, and deny the Justice Department's accusation that he belongs to the criminal gang MS-13. He has been languishing in El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison since last month. Abrego Garcia was picked up in Maryland on March 12. While he had entered the country illegally, an immigration judge ruled that his deportation should be stopped as he faced persecution back in his home country. But the government has given no indication it plans to seek his return and said it had no authority to release a man from a foreign prison, raising the potential for a constitutional conflict should Trump defy the highest court. The case has raised questions about whether due process was followed and highlighted the extent to which the White House is trying to exert control over the courts to bolster its immigration policy. On Thursday Democrat senator Chris Van Hollen travelled to El Salvador to meet Abrego Garcia in prison. Van Hollen posted a photo of the meeting on X, saying he also called Abrego Garcia's wife 'to pass along his message of love.' A spokesman for the Trump administration remained on message, claiming Van Hollen was worried more about a 'terrorist' illegal migrant than his own constituents.
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