What You Need to Know About Kilmar Ábrego García, the Maryland Man Deported by Trump Officials

In Maryland, a judge is demanding that President Donald Trump’s administration ensure the return of a man who was mistakenly deported to a high-security prison in El Salvador.

Last month, the Trump administration deported Kilmar Ábrego García to a facility in Central America, alongside over 200 Venezuelans and Salvadorans, many of whom are alleged to be gang members.

The Supreme Court recently partially supported Judge Paula Xinis’s directive, which requires officials to “facilitate” the release of the Salvadoran national after the government admitted that his deportation was an “administrative mistake.”

Despite this, Trump officials have resisted the order, while El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has stated this week that he would not permit Mr. Ábrego García’s return to the United States.

On Tuesday, Judge Xinis instructed the government to provide additional information within two weeks regarding efforts to secure Mr. Ábrego García’s freedom.

Kilmar Ábrego García emigrated to the United States illegally from El Salvador around 2011.

In 2019, he was apprehended alongside three other men in Maryland and was taken into custody by federal immigration authorities.

Later that same year, an immigration judge granted him legal protection against deportation due to potential risks of persecution from local gangs in El Salvador.

At 29 years old, he had been living in Maryland with his wife and child under this protected status prior to his deportation.

His wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, a U.S. citizen, has claimed that both the Trump and Bukele administrations are “continuing to create political distractions with his life.”

The Trump administration has acknowledged that Mr. Ábrego García’s deportation was erroneous but has also asserted that he has connections with the MS-13 gang, which the government classifies as a foreign terrorist organization.

Officials from Trump’s administration noted that a confidential informant alerted them to these ties, a claim that Mr. Ábrego García’s family members and attorneys contest.

The federal judge overseeing his case indicated that Mr. Ábrego García has no criminal history in the U.S. or El Salvador, dismissing the gang allegations as an “unsupported claim”.

Mr. Ábrego García faces no charges related to gang activity.

During his meeting with Trump on Monday, President Bukele stated he wouldn’t permit Mr. Ábrego García’s return, emphasizing, “we’re not keen on sending terrorists back to our country.” No evidence has been presented linking him to any form of terrorism.

He labeled the question as absurd, noting his alignment with Trump since taking office. “I lack the authority to return him to the United States,” he added.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi mentioned that the decision to return him rests with El Salvador. “If they are willing to return him, we will assist by providing a plane,” she stated.

On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt remarked that Democrats and the media have conveyed that “we deported a candidate for father of the year,” while reiterating claims of Mr. Ábrego García being an MS-13 member.

Presently, Mr. Ábrego García is incarcerated at El Salvador’s infamous Cecot (Terrorism Confinement Centre).

Soon after his deportation, his family filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to bring him back to the U.S.

Judge Xinis, appointed by former President Barack Obama, issued an order for the government to “facilitate and complete” his return by April 7.

Following the Trump administration’s appeal to the Supreme Court, justices unanimously ruled that the Trump administration must attempt to “facilitate” his return while requesting the district court to clarify its “complete” instructions.

However, the justices did not impose a deadline for Mr. Ábrego García’s release.

On Tuesday, Judge Xinis once again instructed the Trump administration to provide clarification on the actions taken to release Mr. Ábrego García.

Judge Xinis will decide in two weeks whether the government acted in good faith or whether it is in contempt of court.

A U.S. official stated over the weekend that Mr. Ábrego García is “alive and safe” in the high-security facility.

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, along with other lawmakers, has announced that if Mr. Ábrego García is not returned by mid-week, he intends to “travel to El Salvador this week” to monitor his well-being and work towards securing his release.