Trump Administration Refuses to Assist Wrongfully Deported Man’s Return
The Trump administration has stated that it is not required to help a Maryland resident, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, return to the U.S. after his wrongful deportation to El Salvador, despite a Supreme Court ruling that directed the government to “facilitate” his return. Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant who had lived in Maryland and held a work permit since 2019, was deported in March along with other alleged gang members, despite an immigration judge’s order blocking his removal to El Salvador.
U.S. officials argued in court filings that the Supreme Court’s order to “facilitate” Garcia’s return only required the removal of obstacles to his return, not direct assistance in extracting him from El Salvador. The administration acknowledged that Garcia’s deportation violated the judge’s order but maintained that it was not obligated to actively intervene to bring him back.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, overseeing Garcia’s legal challenge to his deportation, had ordered the government to return him to the U.S. by April 4. The Supreme Court declined the administration’s request to overturn this ruling, further solidifying the directive. However, a senior U.S. immigration official stated that the order preventing Garcia’s deportation was no longer valid because Garcia was allegedly connected to MS-13, a gang now classified as a foreign terrorist organization.
In response to the court order for daily updates on Garcia’s situation, the U.S. State Department confirmed that he was “alive and secure” in a terrorism detention facility in El Salvador. The administration’s attorneys have also asked Judge Xinis to deny Garcia’s request for more information on the government’s efforts to facilitate his return, citing concerns that such disclosure could interfere with ongoing diplomatic discussions, particularly as President Trump was set to meet with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele at the White House.
Trump had previously indicated that his administration would comply with the Supreme Court’s directive if it required Garcia’s return. However, the legal and diplomatic situation remains complex, as the administration maintains that it is not obliged to take active steps to bring Garcia back to the U.S.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0