A White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has confirmed that the US government will not return Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran national who was mistakenly deported from Maryland to a mega-prison in El Salvador last month.
Mr. Ábrego García’s lawyer and family deny allegations that he is a member of the MS-13 gang or that he has a history of domestic violence. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has also stated that he does not have the power to return him.
This incident comes amidst an ongoing dispute between the president and the judiciary over immigration. A judge in another case ruled that the administration could be held in contempt of court over deportation flights.
The White House’s refusal to return Mr. Ábrego García is based on the accusations of gang membership and domestic violence. However, his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, has stated that the protective order against him was filed out of caution and that they were able to resolve the situation as a family.
Mr. Ábrego García was living in Maryland before his deportation on 15 March to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (Cecot) in El Salvador. Maryland Judge Paula Xinis ruled that his removal from the country breached a 2019 court order that had granted him legal protection from deportation. The US Supreme Court later partially upheld the lower court ruling, stating that the Trump administration must “facilitate” Mr. Ábrego García’s release.
Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen flew to El Salvador in an attempt to speak with Mr. Ábrego García but was denied access on Wednesday.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20xzdxk53no
