NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A recently unsealed court order in the case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia reveals that high-ranking officials in the Justice Department pushed for his indictment, designating it as a ‘top priority’ subsequent to his accidental deportation and subsequent return to the United States.

Garcia has pleaded not guilty to human smuggling charges in federal court in Tennessee. He alleges that the prosecution is a form of vendetta, part of a broader agenda by President Donald Trump's administration to penalize him for the missteps surrounding his deportation.

To bolster his claim, Garcia seeks to obtain documents that clarify the timing and nature of the decision to prosecute him in 2025 regarding events from nearly three years prior. On December 3, U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw issued a sealed order mandating the government provide specific documents to Garcia and his legal team, which was unsealed on Tuesday and offers new insights into the case.

Previously, Judge Crenshaw acknowledged ‘some evidence’ that suggests the prosecution may be retaliatory. He referred to a statement made by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche during a Fox News interview, which implied that the Justice Department's decision to charge Garcia was connected to his favorable ruling in a wrongful deportation case.

However, Rob McGuire, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee until late December, contended that such comments were irrelevant, asserting that he made the prosecution decision independently and harbors no ill will against Garcia.}