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The Trump administration has informed a federal court that an immigrant, wrongly deported last month, remains in a notorious prison in El Salvador. However, they have refused to disclose the measures being taken to bring him back to the United States.
In a court filing on Saturday, the US State Department stated that Kilmar Abrego Garcia is “alive and secure” in prison, under the authority of El Salvador’s government.
Abrego Garcia, 29, had been living in Maryland for 14 years before being mistakenly deported to El Salvador along with over 200 others. This deportation was part of President Donald Trump’s extensive efforts to combat undocumented immigration.
The US Supreme Court has since ordered the Trump administration to return Abrego Garcia to the US.
The recent State Department filing follows a hearing where a government lawyer was unable to provide US District Judge Paula Xinis with any information about Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts.
Judge Xinis issued an order requiring the administration to disclose Abrego Garcia’s “current physical location and custodial status” and the actions they have or will take, and when, to facilitate his return.
Michael G Kozak, a “Senior Bureau Official” in the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, stated in the filing that Abrego Garcia is “alive and secure” in the El Salvador facility, under the country’s sovereignty.
Judge Xinis expressed frustration with the government’s lack of information during the hearing, emphasizing her desire to know where Abrego Garcia is and under whose authority he is being held.
The judge underscored her request, stating that she is not seeking state secrets but aims to understand the situation of Abrego Garcia, who was prohibited from being sent to El Salvador.
Drew Ensign, a deputy assistant attorney general, informed the judge that the government is “actively considering what could be done” regarding Abrego Garcia’s case, involving coordination among three cabinet agencies.
Abrego Garcia had resided in the US for about 14 years, working in construction, getting married, and raising three children with disabilities. If returned, he will face allegations of being an MS-13 gang member, which he denies and for which he was never charged.

The controversy arises as President Trump is set to meet El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele at the White House. When asked if Trump would seek the return of Abrego Garcia during the meeting, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the Supreme Court ruling mandates the administration to “facilitate” Garcia’s return, “not to effectuate the return.”

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/13/trump-admin-says-wrongly-deported-man-is-alive-and-secure-in-el-salvador?traffic_source=rss