Federal prosecutors have told a judge in Maryland the government plans to initiate deportation proceedings against Kilmar Abrego Garcia and to deport him to a country that is not his native El Salvador upon his release from a Tennessee jail.

The Trump administration could deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a country other than El Salvador if he is released from jail, officials said Thursday.

The assertion raised questions about how seriously the administration takes the criminal charges filed against the migrant. A White House official reiterated support for prosecuting him in America.