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6d ago

Trump Admits He Could Return Wrongly Deported Maryland Resident, Refuses to Act

In a contentious interview, President Trump acknowledged the power to secure Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s release from El Salvador but cited disputed gang allegations as justification for inaction.

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Trump appeared to show a digitally altered photo of Kilmar Abrego Garcia's tattoos
Jennifer Vasquez Sura, wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant who lived in the U.S. legally with a work permit and was erroneously deported to El Salvador, looks on during a press conference with other family members, supporters and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo
Jennifer Vasquez Sura, wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Cesar Abrego Garcia, and Cecilia Garcia de Abrego react as U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) holds a press conference after returning from a visit to El Salvador, where he advocated for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man deported from the U.S. without due process by the Trump administration, as an alleged MS-13 gang member and sent to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a maximum security prison in El Salvador, at Dulles International Airport in Sterling, Virginia, U.S., April 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura/File Photo

Overview

  • Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legally protected Maryland resident, was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March 2025 despite a 2019 court order barring his removal.
  • The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in early April that the Trump administration must facilitate his return, but the White House has refused to comply, citing contested gang affiliation claims.
  • In a recent interview, Trump admitted he could call Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to secure Abrego Garcia’s release but declined, labeling him a gang member despite insufficient evidence.
  • Experts and federal judges have expressed skepticism over the administration’s claims, noting that alleged MS-13 ties rest on dubious evidence, including a disputed photograph of tattoos.
  • Abrego Garcia remains detained in El Salvador’s overcrowded CECOT prison, raising humanitarian concerns over his separation from his family, including three children with disabilities.