A US citizen wrongly deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration is now at the center of a contentious battle between lawmakers and the White House. A delegation of four House Democrats has arrived in the country to push for Kilmar Ábrego García’s release, amid allegations of human trafficking and terrorism.
The Trump administration‘s refusal to comply with a supreme court order has left a US citizen, Kilmar Ábrego García, stranded in El Salvador. A delegation of four House Democrats has arrived in the country to push for his release.
A Decade of Living in the US, Now Wrongly Deported
Ábrego García had lived in the US for over 10 years before being deported to El Salvador on a plane carrying alleged immigrant gang members. He was sent despite a 2019 immigration judge’s order protecting him from deportation. The Trump administration has admitted to an ‘administrative error’ leading to his deportation, but insists it will not return him to his American wife and disabled child in Maryland.
A Controversy that Crosses Party Lines
The controversy surrounding Ábrego García‘s deportation has drawn criticism even from some Republicans. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana acknowledged on NBC’s Meet the Press that ‘the administration won’t admit it. But this was a screw-up.’ The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has defended the deportation, claiming Ábrego García was involved in human trafficking and terrorism.
A Fight for Due Process
The case has become a flashpoint in the ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and the supreme court, which ruled that the government had a duty to help return Ábrego García. House Democrats are seeking to meet with him, as well as other individuals transferred from the US who are currently detained in El Salvador.
A Message of Support
Ábrego García‘s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, has expressed gratitude for the lawmakers’ visit, saying it ‘sends a powerful message’. The delegation will also receive classified briefings during their visit and meet with officials at the US embassy to advocate for Ábrego García‘s release.
