www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-06-30 15:55:00
Kilmar Abrego Garcia remains in federal custody following a Monday ruling by Magistrate Barbara D. Holmes. Garcia faces federal human smuggling charges related to a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop where he was caught driving an SUV with eight passengers, suspected of smuggling them for money. Garcia sought release, citing conflicting government statements about potential removal to a third country before trial. Holmes noted these conflicting positions and decided Garcia will stay detained until a July 16 hearing. He is to be held separately from other inmates and given private access to his defense counsel. Garcia was recently returned to the U.S. after deportation to El Salvador.
(The Center Square) – Kilmar Abrego Garcia is not getting out of jail for now.
The Monday ruling from federal Magistrate Barbara D. Holmes comes at the request of Garcia, who is facing federal charges of human smuggling. Garcia is concerned “based on purported conflicting statements by the government, specifically that it intends to remove Abrego to a third country upon his return to DHS custody following release in this case and that it would ensure Abrego is not removed before trial on the instant criminal charges,” Holmes said in the ruling.
Holmes previously said that Garcia should be released but acknowledged that he would likely remain in federal custody. In her ruling Monday, Holmes said she considered the “perceived conflicting positions taken by the government regarding whether it will deport Abrego pending final disposition of this case including the further review by the District Judge of the government’s request for pretrial detention.”
The ruling means Garcia will be held in federal custody until a July 16 hearing.
“He shall, to the extent practicable, be held separately from persons awaiting or serving sentences or being held in custody pending appeal and he shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity for private consultation with defense counsel,” Holmes said in her ruling.
Garcia was returned to the U.S. after being deported to El Salvador to stand trial on charges of “alien smuggling” and “conspiracy to commit alien smuggling.”
The smuggling charges stem from a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop. Garcia was driving an SUV with eight passengers. One of the officers believed that he was smuggling them, remarking in a video of the traffic stop that he was “hauling these people for money.”
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article presents a straightforward report on the federal magistrate’s ruling regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s detention without promoting or endorsing any political viewpoint. The language used is factual and neutral, focusing on legal proceedings and specific court statements without commentary or emotionally charged phrasing. It describes the charges, court decisions, and events sequentially without framing the issue through a particular ideological lens. Thus, the content adheres to neutral, factual reporting rather than expressing or implying a political bias.
SUMMARY: A recent Tennessee Education Survey of nearly 40,000 teachers reveals most middle and high school teachers find cellphone use disruptive, with 73% reporting cheating via phones. While 94% say schools restrict phone use during class, half of high school teachers want a full campus ban. A new state law bans wireless devices during instruction but lets districts set specific rules. Teacher retention is driven mainly by school culture, despite only a third being satisfied with pay. Most teachers support current discipline methods and evaluations, with early-career teachers spending more time on discipline but generally satisfied with evaluations improving their teaching.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a new initiative at the Tennessee State Fair to end subsidies for solar panels on farmland while redirecting agriculture grants. The Trump administration recently cut more than \$31 million from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, with Rollins defending the move as prioritizing farmers. Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden called the cuts a “repurposing” away from clean energy and racial equity programs. Rollins pledged nearly \$89 million for rural development in 28 Tennessee counties and highlighted \$100 million already distributed to farmers. She also cited new trade agreements to offset tariff-related cost increases.
U.S. Agriculture officials announced a new initiative Monday to stop subsidies for solar energy panels that take up farmland while supporting cuts in agriculture grants to Tennessee universities.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins introduced the initiative by the Trump administration after a Future Farmers of America breakfast at the State Fairgrounds in Lebanon where she said the federal government will make new grants to bolster Tennessee farming while targeting grants that don’t help farmers’ production.
Rollins criticized the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act and “market distorting incentives” for solar panels, which she said are eliminating Tennessee farmland.
The secretary made the statements even though a study by the nonpartisan Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations found that solar facilities aren’t likely to be the “primary driver” of development on farmland for decades. The study also determined that land can be returned to farming once a solar facility goes out of use.
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn speaks at a Future Farmers of America breakfast featuring U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Aug. 28, 2025. Standing behind Blackburn is Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and U.S. Rep. John Rose. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
Earlier this year, the federal government made dramatic cuts to higher education grants, including eliminating more than $31 million in funding to the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, which houses agricultural research and resources for Tennessee farmers and communities in 95 counties.
Rollins defended the reductions, saying “Those cuts were being made in programs that did not align with the president’s vision of putting farmers first.”
Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden of Tennessee described the reduction as a “repurposing” and said changes were made in research funding based on whether a grant “helps a farmer in the field make more money.” Projects aimed at “clean energy” or based on “racial criteria” were eliminated, he said.
In addition to stopping solar panel development on farmland, Rollins announced that nearly $89 million will go toward 13 rural development projects in 28 Tennessee counties to “promote partnerships” and infrastructure investments for rural education. The department has distributed nearly $100 million this year to more than 10,000 farmers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, according to Rollins.
Some farmers have said they expect prices to increase because of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which are forcing them to pass on higher rates to customers. Rollins said Monday the administration has signed eight new trade agreements expected to boost the nation’s economy.
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Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
The article largely reports on U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ policy announcements but introduces balancing context that slightly shifts the tone. While it covers her criticisms of the Biden administration and defense of Trump-era cuts, it also highlights a nonpartisan Tennessee study contradicting her claims about solar panels reducing farmland. This inclusion, along with details on higher education grant cuts and references to “racial criteria” in funding, frames the administration’s moves with a degree of skepticism. The reporting avoids overt editorializing but leans toward questioning Republican policies, giving it a mild Center-Left tilt.
SUMMARY: U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced proposed changes to SNAP benefits during the Wilson County State Fair. The plan includes waivers to expand access to healthy foods and eliminate items where sugar is the main ingredient. Rollins noted that over 10% of SNAP’s $100 billion annual budget goes to sugary drinks and junk food, calling it an inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars. Lee emphasized the goal of prioritizing nutrition. Rollins also announced nearly $90 million for rural development projects and confirmed the USDA will end funding for solar panels on productive farmland.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Gov. Bill Lee explained they have submitted two waivers to clarify what SNAP benefits can be used for.
