Was Maryland father deported by Trump a gang member?

His legal presence in the US was based on a protection known as “withholding of removal,” which was granted by an immigration judge in 2019. That status is awarded when a judge determines that deporting someone would expose them to persecution or torture in their home country. In Abrego Garcia’s case, the judge ruled he faced credible threats of violence if returned to El Salvador — particularly from the very gangs he was accused of belonging to.