A U.S. government attorney says the U.S. government would initiate deportation proceedings against Kilmar Abrego Garcia if he's released from jail before trial on human smuggling charges.

The plan directly contradicted the White House, which last month described as “fake news” reports of plans to re-deport Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia.

A Justice Department attorney told a federal judge during a hearing Monday in Maryland that the government's "plan at this stage" is to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to a third country if he is released on bond by a judge in Tennessee, where he is facing human smuggling charges.