Kilmar Abrego Garcia claims he was tortured in El Salvadoran prison
Lawyers for Mr Abrego Garcia, 29, who entered the US illegally, said the married father was subjected to 'severe beatings', 'sleep deprivation' and 'psychological torture' while incarcerated.
The new details of Mr Abrego Garcia's time in El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Centre (Cecot) were added to a lawsuit against the Trump administration filed by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez.
The Trump administration has asked a federal judge in Maryland, where Mr Abrego Garcia was living before his arrest in March, to dismiss Ms Vasquez's lawsuit, arguing that it is now moot because the government returned her husband to the US, as ordered by the court.
His case became a flashpoint in a national debate about Mr Trump's border crackdown, sparking outrage from Democrats who held it up as evidence of the cruelty of the president's mass deportation programme.
While imprisoned in El Salvador, he was allegedly kicked and hit so often upon arrival that by the following day, he had visible bruises and lumps all over his body, according to court documents. He added that he and 20 others were forced to kneel all night long and guards hit anyone who fell.
Mr Abrego Garcia said detainees 'were confined to metal bunks with no mattresses in an overcrowded cell with no windows, bright lights that remained on 24 hours a day, and minimal access to sanitation'.
He said prison officials repeatedly threatened to transfer him to a cell with gang members who would 'tear' him apart. He also allegedly saw other inmates violently attack each other and heard screams throughout the night.
During his time at Cecot, his condition is said to have deteriorated rapidly owing to inadequate food provisions, causing him to lose more than 30 pounds in the first two weeks.
Mr Abrego Garcia was returned to the US last month to face human smuggling charges to which he has pleaded not guilty.
The White House initially pushed back against a Supreme Court order to facilitate his return, insisting he was a member of the notorious South American gang MS-13 – allegations his wife and lawyers have denied.
He also allegedly beat Ms Vasquez in 2021, prompting her to get a restraining order against him and describe him as 'violent' in a handwritten statement.
Ms Vasquez, who has since described her husband as an 'excellent father', previously told law enforcement he punched her, scratched her and ripped off her shirt.
Mr Abrego Garcia is currently in jail in Tennessee awaiting trial.
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