In a controversial decision, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has chosen not to allow the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was wrongly deported to El Salvador and imprisoned in the country’s infamous Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).
Abrego Garcia, who has been legally residing in the U.S. since 2019 under protections against deportation due to threats from gangs in El Salvador, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 12, 2025. Even though a court ruling from 2019 forbade his deportation, he was sent back to El Salvador on March 15, where he was jailed without trial.
In a recent discussion at the White House, President Bukele claimed he does not have the power to return Abrego Garcia, calling him a “terrorist,” despite the absence of any criminal convictions in either nation.
On April 10, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that Abrego Garcia’s deportation was unlawful and instructed the administration to assist in his return. Nonetheless, the Trump administration maintains that decisions regarding foreign policy are under the president’s jurisdiction, not the judiciary’s.
Abrego Garcia’s relatives and legal advocates assert that he is not connected to any criminal organizations and that his deportation was a serious mistake.
This situation has heightened discussions surrounding immigration policies and the treatment of individuals with protected status, raising alarms about due process and human rights.
