Overview

• Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident with legal protection against deportation, remains detained in El Salvador’s CECOT prison after a mistaken deportation on March 15.
• The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on April 10 that the Trump administration must facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return, but officials have deferred responsibility to El Salvador, citing limits on their authority.
• Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has refused to release Abrego Garcia, asserting unproven claims of his MS-13 gang membership, which his attorneys and available evidence dispute.
• U.S. Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, are escalating diplomatic efforts, including planned visits to El Salvador, to secure Abrego Garcia’s release and return.
• This case highlights tensions between the judiciary and the executive, raising concerns about due process, immigration enforcement, and compliance with court orders in the U.S.