The Trump administration has provided an update regarding the case of a Maryland father who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador’s infamous mega prison.
In his second term, President Trump has intensified efforts to curb illegal immigration in the US, leading to a significant number of deportations.
To date, over 250 individuals suspected of criminal activities have been deported to the mega prison in El Salvador, known as The Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT). This move is part of Trump’s broader plan to implement mass deportations under a World War II law, which the Supreme Court has recently sanctioned, much to the president’s approval.
Unfortunately, Kilmar Abrego Garcia was erroneously deported to CECOT despite not being on the list of intended deportees.
Garcia, who had secured legal protection against deportation in 2019, was mistakenly sent to El Salvador. The Trump administration has cited this as an ‘administrative error’.
Garcia’s lawyers argue that he escaped gang violence in El Salvador over a decade ago. They assert that an ‘error’ led to his arrest by ICE in March, with allegations tied to his supposed involvement in MS-13, claims his attorneys deny.
Despite recognizing the mistake, the Trump administration has been slow to assist in returning the Salvadoran national to the US.
On Thursday, April 10, the Supreme Court intervened, supporting a district court order to ‘facilitate and effectuate’ Garcia’s repatriation to the United States.
The Court’s unanimous 9-0 decision mandated his release from custody in El Salvador and ensured his case would proceed as if he had not been wrongly deported.
Following this ruling, a representative from the Trump administration updated the public on Garcia’s status.
State Department official Michael Kozak informed a judge, as reported by the BBC: “It is my understanding, based on official reporting from our Embassy in San Salvador, that Abrego Garcia is being held in the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador.”
“He is alive and secure in that facility,” Kozak added.
BBC News also notes that President Trump is scheduled to meet with El Salvador’s president on Monday, April 14, to discuss the ongoing situation.
President Trump assured reporters of his compliance with the Supreme Court, stating if they requested someone be brought back, he would comply.
With the Supreme Court’s decision, the matter will now proceed to the trial court, though the justices did not indicate a specific timeline for Garcia’s release.