In a move stirring international headlines, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele is standing firm on his decision not to return Kilmar Ábrego García… a Salvadoran man mistakenly deported from the United States despite having legal protection to remain.
The diplomatic tension escalated after Bukele’s meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. Although the U.S. Supreme Court recently ordered the Trump administration to “facilitate” García’s return, the Salvadoran leader says his country won’t comply.
García, a Maryland resident, was protected from deportation by a 2019 court ruling. However, he was still sent back to El Salvador in what U.S. officials now admit was an “administrative error.” Since arriving, García has been detained inside the infamous Cecot… El Salvador’s maximum-security mega-prison, often reserved for alleged gang members and hardened criminals.
Despite the Supreme Court’s directive, Trump’s administration claims their hands are tied, placing the onus on El Salvador. Attorney General Pam Bondi asserted that the decision lies with Bukele, stating, “It’s up to El Salvador if they want to return him.”
Trump, meanwhile, continues to praise Bukele’s hardline stance on crime, calling him a “fantastic leader” who’s helping the U.S. crack down on gang violence. Under a new agreement, the U.S. has been deporting individuals it suspects of gang ties to El Salvador… including 238 Venezuelans and 23 Salvadorans. García was part of that group, although his attorney insists he has no gang affiliations.
Adding fuel to the fire, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Sunday that another 10 alleged gang members were deported to Cecot… despite growing legal challenges and accusations of human rights violations. Rubio defended the partnership with Bukele on social media, calling it a “model for regional security.”
In a surprising twist, Trump claimed last week that he would comply with the Supreme Court’s order if it were solely up to him. Yet, court filings from the administration argue the matter falls under foreign policy and is beyond the courts’ reach.
Now, officials have been ordered to submit daily reports detailing what steps… if any… are being taken to bring García back to American soil.
