Newly surfaced Department of Homeland Security (DHS) documents reveal that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the illegal alien at the center of an ongoing deportation legal battle, was flagged in 2022 as a “suspect alien” potentially involved in human smuggling and trafficking.
The designation came after a Tennessee state trooper pulled him over for erratic driving—an incident not previously made public—raising fresh questions about the Biden-Harris administration's handling of Garcia's immigration case.
According to documents reviewed by Just the News, the stop occurred in late November 2022.
A state trooper pulled Garcia over after observing him speeding and failing to maintain his lane.
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He was found driving an SUV loaded with passengers from Texas using an expired Maryland driver’s license.
The officer issued a warning, noting that Garcia “pretended to speak less English than he was capable of” and gave vague answers about his connection to the vehicle’s owner.
“There was no luggage in the vehicle, leading the encountering officer to suspect this was a human trafficking incident,” a memo stated.
The DHS alert system flagged the case under “human smuggling/trafficking” on December 6, 2022. Three weeks later, on December 27, DHS updated Garcia’s profile, instructing any agents who encountered him in the future to “escort to secondary” for further screening.
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Records do not indicate whether the Biden-Harris administration pursued any follow-up actions after Garcia was flagged.
The disclosure adds to the already complex case surrounding Garcia, who was deported under President Donald Trump’s March 2024 executive order invoking the Alien Enemies Act.
He has since become the subject of a legal effort seeking his return, with U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ordering the administration to bring him back by April 7.
The Supreme Court granted an administrative stay and later ruled that while the administration should “facilitate” his return, the lower court may have overstepped its authority.
On Wednesday, DHS released court filings showing that Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, sought a protective order against him in May 2021, citing a “violent encounter.”
Records from Maryland's judiciary confirm the filing, though the case was dismissed when Vasquez did not appear in court.
Despite this, Vasquez is now publicly defending Garcia and urging his return, telling reporters, “Our family is torn apart during this scary time. Our children miss their dad so much.”
Vasquez’s statements appear on a GoFundMe page reportedly created by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), a group funded in part through ActBlue Charities.
The page has raised nearly $200,000 and includes graphics comparing ICE agents to Nazi soldiers.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the situation during a press briefing on Wednesday.
“Kilmar Abrego Garcia is an illegal alien, MS-13 gang member and foreign terrorist who was deported back to his home country,” Leavitt stated.
She said Garcia was first detained in 2019 after being arrested in a Home Depot parking lot, where he was found with two known MS-13 members.
“Abrego Garcia was also arrested with two other well-known members of the vicious MS-13 gang,” Leavitt continued.
“Two separate judges found that Abrego Garcia was a member of MS-13, and that finding has never been disputed.”
.@PressSec lays out the FACTS: "Kilmar Abrego Garcia is an illegal alien MS-13 gang member and foreign terrorist who was deported back to his HOME COUNTRY." pic.twitter.com/onwoSVYyqE
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 16, 2025
At that time, DHS records show Garcia admitted he had entered the country illegally and did not qualify for asylum.
He was wearing a sweatshirt featuring a known MS-13 symbol—portraits of U.S. presidents with money covering their eyes, ears, and mouths.
Despite multiple findings confirming his gang affiliation, Garcia’s supporters describe him as a family man and construction worker.
On the fundraising page, he is described as “a loving father, husband, son, brother, union construction co-worker [...] wrongfully disappeared and deported.”
Judge Xinis, who is currently presiding over the challenge to Garcia’s removal, has yet to issue further orders following the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The Department of Justice and DHS have not commented on whether they will take additional steps to comply with the court’s facilitation language or whether any prosecution will be pursued regarding past human smuggling concerns.
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