After the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an alleged MS-13 gang member, his wife is speaking out in his defense and pushing back against the way federal authorities handled his removal from the United States

Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Abrego Garcia, told WUSA9 that she continues to support her husband, even after past allegations of domestic abuse and the release of documents linking him to MS-13’s Western Clique.

“Kilmar has always been a loving partner and father, and I will continue to stand by him and demand justice for him,” Sura said.

The statement comes after the Department of Justice made public a domestic violence protection order she filed in 2019, which alleged that “respondent punched and scratched petitioner, ripped off shirt, grabbed and bruised petitioner.”

Sura confirmed that she filed the order, but said she had a personal reason for doing so, saying she had previously survived an abusive relationship and filed the petition against Abrego Garcia “out of caution.”

“Things did not escalate, and I decided not to follow through with the civil court process,” she explained. The case was ultimately dismissed after Sura did not appear in court.

She added, “We were able to work through this situation privately as a family, including by going to counseling. Our marriage only grew stronger in the years that followed. No one is perfect and no marriage is perfect.”

Sura argued that this past situation has no bearing on the recent decision to deport her husband and said it doesn’t justify the actions taken by federal authorities.

Sura said that her past struggles with Abrego Garcia are “not a justification for ICE’s action of abducting him and deporting him to a country where he was supposed to be protected from deportation.”

According to DOJ documents released Wednesday, Abrego Garcia is allegedly a member of MS-13’s Western Clique and goes by the nickname “Chele,” holding the rank of “Chequeo.” A confidential source with a history of providing reliable information reportedly confirmed his affiliation. He was also reportedly spotted wearing clothing that displayed symbols tied to the gang.

Abrego Garcia was arrested in 2019 along with other known MS-13 members, including Christhyan Hernandez-Romero, known as “Bimbo,” and Jose Guillermo Dominguez, known as “Maniaco,” both of whom had tattoos associated with gang leadership roles.

Despite these ties, Sura is maintaining that her husband should never have been deported—and says she will continue standing by his side.