Kilmar Abrego Garcia GoFundMe nears $290,000 target as Union construction co-worker released from ICE detention

Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been released from ICE detention, following a judge's order on Thursday, December 11, according to the Associated Press (AP). The outlet confirmed that the Salvadoran immigrant returned to his Maryland home hours after he was let go by the immigration authorities from a Pennsylvania facility. 

Amid the news of Garcia’s release, his GoFundMe fundraiser has been inching closer to its $290,000 goal. As of this writing, the campaign has raised $277,776, with over 4,800 donations.

The page, launched by National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), aims to support the union construction worker’s family financially. 

The GoFundMe went live in April, after Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador. NDLON slammed ICE's decision to remove the immigrant as “a shocking administrative error.” The campaign also quotes Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, who is a US citizen.

Jennifer hailed her spouse as an excellent father, as she expressed: 

“He [Kilmar Abrego Garcia] has always been there for our three children and all of their needs. Two of them are on the autism spectrum (ages five and nine), and our third has epilepsy (age 10).” 

Jennifer continued: 

“Kilmar has been the main provider of our household and the love of my life for over seven years. Since our family has been separated, I have been devastated and confused.” 

She described Kilmar’s detention and deportation as “unjust family separation,” which affected everyone around them.

Days after the GoFundMe went live, the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ordered the federal authorities to bring the deported immigrant back. 

ICE detained Kilmar Abrego Garcia twice this year, before his release on December 11

According to the AP, the Maryland-based Salvadoran man entered the US illegally as a teenager in 2011. Years after fleeing El Salvador, Kilmar Abrego Garcia was reportedly detained in 2019, outside Maryland, with the authorities accusing him of being a gang member. 

In 2019, an immigration judge in Maryland ruled in Garcia’s favor. The court awarded him protection from being deported to El Salvador, citing the danger his family faced in his home country.

Nearly six years after his previous detention, ICE took him into custody again in March 2025. 

According to the AP, Kilmar Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, where he was held at the maximum-security CECOT prison. A GoFundMe campaign launched in April asserted: 

“Kilmar is now being held with no contact with his family or lawyers in CECOT, a notorious Salvadoran mega-prison known for torture and human rights abuses.”

The campaign added: 

“ICE is already trying to justify their actions by falsely labeling Kilmar a gang member—without any real evidence. But that's not who Kilmar is. He's a father, a husband, and a hardworking union member.” 

SCOTUS intervened and ordered the federal authorities to bring Garcia back to the US. According to the AP, the court said: 

“The order properly requires the Government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.” 

Kilmar was returned to the US in June, but was detained again and charged with human smuggling. According to the AP, ICE has been seeking to deport Garcia to different African countries.

He was let go in August, but was detained again a few days back. NDLON noted in an update on the GoFundMe page: 

“Kilmar was detained once more. He is now back in ICE custody. A federal judge has ruled that he cannot be deported until at least early October, when Trump administration officials must testify about their repeated attempts to remove him. Still, ICE has made clear they intend to deport him as quickly as possible.”

Kilmar was reportedly transferred to Moshannon Valley Processing Center in September, while legal proceedings were underway.

In December, a Maryland-based US District Judge Paula Xinis ordered ICE to release Garcia.