Tuesday, April 15, 2025 - US President, Donald Trump and El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele made it clear during an Oval Office meeting on Monday, April 14 that Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident wrongly deported to El Salvador, will not be returned to the United States.
This stance comes despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that
requires the federal government to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return. White
House officials have argued that while the ruling obligates facilitation, it
does not compel El Salvador to comply. When asked directly by CNN’s Kaitlan
Collins whether he would return Abrego Garcia, President Bukele dismissed the
suggestion.
“I hope you’re not suggesting that I smuggle a terrorist into
the United States,” Bukele said. “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United
States? Of course I’m not going to do it. The question is preposterous.”
The Supreme Court’s brief and unsigned decision left in place
an earlier order by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis requiring the U.S.
government to take steps toward Abrego Garcia’s return. However, the justices
clarified that while the government must “facilitate” the return, it is not
required to “effectuate” it — a subtle but significant distinction.
Senior White House officials have pushed back against Judge
Xinis’ order, arguing that it encroaches on the executive branch’s authority to
conduct foreign policy. In recent days, President Trump has shifted his
position. After initially saying he would respect the Supreme Court’s ruling,
he has since echoed the White House’s interpretation.
“If the Supreme Court said bring somebody back, I would do
that. I respect the Supreme Court,” Trump said last week. However, he has not
made moves to enforce the decision.
Abrego Garcia reportedly entered the U.S. illegally around
2011. In 2019, an immigration judge reviewed his case and determined that he
should not be deported, citing credible threats from a gang in El Salvador
targeting his family due to their pupusa business. Despite that ruling, he was
later deported under disputed circumstances.
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