El Salvador’s Bukele Refuses to Return Deported Man to U.S./ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ El Salvador President Nayib Bukele says he won’t return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man wrongfully deported to El Salvador. U.S. officials argue the man is a Salvadoran national now in local custody. Despite a Supreme Court ruling, Bukele insists his government has no obligation to return him.
El Salvador’s Refusal: Quick Looks
- White House Meeting: Bukele tells Trump he won’t release deported man
- Wrongful Deportation: Kilmar Abrego Garcia sent to El Salvador by error
- Supreme Court Order: U.S. must “facilitate” Garcia’s return — not enforce it
- Trump’s Position: “We’ll follow the law” — but defers to El Salvador
- Pam Bondi’s Comment: “We’ll provide the plane, but he was here illegally”
- Bukele’s Quote: “I don’t have the power to return him”
- Prison Transfer: Garcia now held in Tecoluca’s CECOT mega-prison
- Legal Fallout: Human rights advocates question U.S. deportation strategy
El Salvador’s Bukele Refuses to Return Deported Man to U.S.
Deep Look
WASHINGTON — El Salvador President Nayib Bukele made it clear Monday during his high-profile visit to the White House that he will not return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man mistakenly deported from Maryland to El Salvador last month, despite mounting legal pressure from U.S. courts.
“The question is preposterous,” Bukele said after meeting with President Donald Trump. “I don’t have the power to return him to the United States.”
Supreme Court Orders, But No Action
Abrego Garcia’s case gained national attention after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to “facilitate” his return. The man, who had a 2019 court ruling shielding him from deportation due to fears of gang retaliation, was nonetheless placed on a plane to El Salvador in March.
While federal attorneys admitted the deportation was an “administrative error,” the administration now insists that the matter is out of its hands.
“We’ll facilitate the return if El Salvador wants to send him back,” said U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. “But he was illegally in our country.”
Inside the Oval Office: No Agreement
During Oval Office remarks, President Trump backed Bukele’s handling of the deportations, praising the Salvadoran president’s leadership and downplaying concerns over human rights abuses at the CECOT prison, where Abrego Garcia is now detained.
“He’s doing a fantastic job,” Trump said. “We wouldn’t be able to handle this the way he can.”
The meeting was part of broader talks on immigration enforcement, deportation coordination, and economic cooperation. Trump and Bukele have become aligned on migration policy and law enforcement crackdowns since Bukele’s first term began during Trump’s prior presidency.
CECOT Prison and U.S. Partnership
Abrego Garcia was transferred to El Salvador’s infamous CECOT maximum-security prison, a massive facility built for gang crackdowns, where over 200 Venezuelan deportees have also been sent under a deal between the two countries.
The U.S. has agreed to pay El Salvador $6 million to detain these deportees for a year.
Bukele confirmed the arrangement and mocked a federal judge’s failed attempt to stop a previous deportation flight, posting: “Oopsie … too late.”
Alien Enemies Act in Use
The Trump administration has invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law, to justify mass deportations of individuals suspected of gang activity. Although the Supreme Court ruled deportees must receive court hearings, the law remains a central piece of the administration’s immigration agenda.
Trump officials have claimed that many of those deported — including Abrego Garcia — have gang affiliations, though no evidence has been made public, and Garcia’s family firmly denies any connection.
Bukele’s Position: “No Return”
When asked again whether he would return Abrego Garcia in light of the court’s ruling, Bukele remained unmoved.
“He is a Salvadoran citizen,” Bukele said. “Why would I return him to another country?”
Administration officials say the Supreme Court’s use of the word “facilitate” means the U.S. must help — not force — his return. White House legal counsel insists it is up to El Salvador to act.
Political and Legal Implications
Abrego Garcia’s situation has become a flashpoint in the growing legal battle over immigration enforcement. Civil rights groups say the U.S. violated both due process and international asylum norms.
“This is a test of whether court orders mean anything under this administration,” said César Ríos of the Salvadoran Immigrant Agenda Association.
Meanwhile, Trump has floated the idea of El Salvador accepting even U.S. citizens with violent criminal records, though he has not explained how that would comply with U.S. law.
“I’d only do it according to the law,” Trump said, while calling some criminals “better off outside the country.”
A Broader Strategy on Immigration
Since February, over 200 men accused of being part of Venezuelan gangs like Tren de Aragua have been deported and jailed in El Salvador. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Bukele for aiding the U.S., calling him “a good friend.”
Rubio added that other countries — including Honduras and Guatemala — may join the program.
The administration has not commented on whether further legal guidance is coming on how deportations will be handled when court protections exist, as in Garcia’s case.
Tense History Between Trump and Bukele
Though now aligned, Trump and Bukele have clashed in the past. Trump once accused Bukele of “dumping” Salvadoran criminals into the U.S. to reduce El Salvador’s murder rate.
“He’s not working with them. He’s dumping them here,” Trump said at a 2024 campaign rally.
Still, the State Department recently upgraded El Salvador’s travel safety rating to “Level 1,” citing major reductions in gang violence since Bukele’s prison overhaul.
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