Trump Administration Admits Mistakenly Deporting Immigrant Who Remains in El Salvador Prison

The Trump administration has acknowledged to a federal court that a man wrongly deported to El Salvador last month is still being held in a notorious prison there. However, they declined to reveal the extent of their efforts to repatriate him to the United States.

In a court filing on Saturday, the US State Department confirmed that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, is “alive and secure” while being held under El Salvador’s authority. The statement stopped short of outlining any steps toward his return. This is despite a direct order from the US Supreme Court to do so.

A Mistaken Deportation

Abrego Garcia had lived in Maryland for 14 years before he was mistakenly deported last month. He was one of more than 200 people swept up in President Donald Trump’s aggressive campaign against undocumented immigrants.

Since then, his case has drawn national attention, culminating in an order from the US Supreme Court demanding that the Trump administration return him to American soil. Still, officials have remained vague about their compliance.

The administration’s latest filing came a day after a federal hearing in which US District Judge Paula Xinis expressed frustration with the government’s lack of transparency.

“Where is he and under whose authority?” Judge Xinis asked sharply during the Friday hearing. “I’m not asking for state secrets. All I know is that he’s not here. The government was prohibited from sending him to El Salvador, and now I’m asking a very simple question: Where is he?”

She went on to demand that the administration reveal Abrego Garcia’s “current physical location and custodial status,” as well as “what steps, if any, Defendants have taken [and] will take, and when, to facilitate” his return.

“He is detained pursuant to the sovereign, domestic authority of El Salvador.”

Michael G. Kozak, who identified himself as a senior official within the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, submitted the court filing stating: “Mr. Abrego Garcia is alive and secure. He is detained pursuant to the sovereign, domestic authority of El Salvador.”

The filing did not include any timeline or commitment to bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States.

No Plan, No Progress

Judge Xinis questioned government lawyer Drew Ensign about the actions taken following the Supreme Court’s ruling. Ensign, a deputy assistant attorney general, responded that he had “no knowledge” of any concrete plans.

He told the court the administration was “actively considering what could be done” and added that the case involved coordination across “three cabinet agencies.”

Xinis was visibly exasperated, asking repeatedly, “Have they done anything?”

A Family Left in Limbo

Abrego Garcia’s deportation has had devastating consequences for his family. He was the primary provider for his wife and three children, all of whom have disabilities, according to court filings.

While living in the US, Abrego Garcia worked in construction and had no criminal record. His deportation was based on a 2019 allegation by local police in Maryland, who accused him of being affiliated with the gang MS-13. His lawyers maintain he denied the accusation and was never formally charged.

Diplomatic Tensions Ahead of White House Meeting

The controversy unfolds just days before a scheduled White House meeting between President Trump and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele. The timing has raised questions about whether Trump will address Abrego Garcia’s case directly with Bukele.

Asked Friday whether Trump planned to bring up the matter, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt rather deflected responsibility.

“The Supreme Court ruling made clear the administration’s responsibility was to facilitate Garcia’s return, not to effectuate the return.”

As legal and diplomatic pressure mounts, Abrego Garcia remains imprisoned. He is caught in an international legal limbo with no clear path home.

Mimi Mefo Info