I apologize for the multiple emails this evening, but moments ago, Kilmar Abrego Garcia filed a lawsuit in Maryland against the Trump Administration and is offering his harrowing account of the torture he endured in El Salvador. I need everyone to read this tonight.
In the complaint, Abrego Garcia describes enduring severe mistreatment at the CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador, a facility that has drawn international criticism for its alleged human rights violations. Abrego Garcia claims that upon arrival, he and other detainees were greeted by a prison official with a chilling warning: “Welcome to CECOT. Whoever enters here doesn’t leave.”
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According to his account, Abrego Garcia was immediately subjected to brutal treatment. He was forced to strip, change into prison clothes under duress, and was kicked and struck in the head and arms. Guards shaved his head with a zero razor before he was frog-marched to his cell—beaten with wooden batons along the way. By the next day, he reportedly had visible bruises and lumps all over his body.
Abrego Garcia alleges that he lost 31 pounds in his first two weeks at CECOT due to malnutrition, sleep deprivation, and physical abuse. His cell, shared with 20 other inmates, was overcrowded, with no mattresses, no windows, and bright lights kept on 24 hours a day. He claims detainees were forced to kneel through the night and were beaten if they collapsed from exhaustion. He was denied access to a bathroom, resulting in him soiling himself.
His lawyers describe the conditions as both physically and psychologically torturous. Prison officials allegedly threatened to move Abrego Garcia to cells with known gang members—despite recognizing that his tattoos were not affiliated with MS-13. Abrego Garcia says he witnessed violence among inmates in those cells, with guards standing by and refusing to intervene.
The lawsuit also includes claims that a U.S. immigration agent was present at the time of Abrego Garcia’s deportation, coordinating with Salvadoran officials to confirm the identities of those being transferred. This detail raises questions about the role of U.S. authorities in what Abrego Garcia’s legal team is framing as a knowing handoff to torture.
Abrego Garcia’s legal team is seeking accountability for what they say was the U.S. government's failure to protect a deportee from foreseeable and extreme harm. His case adds to growing scrutiny of deportation policies and human rights conditions in El Salvador’s prison system.
The Department of Homeland Security and other relevant agencies have not yet commented on the allegations.
Read his full lawsuit here.
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