U.S. Deported Man Held in Salvadoran Prison

U.S. Deported Man Held in Salvadoran Prison \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ The Trump administration acknowledged a Maryland man was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, where he’s now held in a high-security prison. A federal judge demanded details about efforts to bring him back, which the government has yet to provide. The Supreme Court ordered his return, but officials cite bureaucratic delays.

Quick Looks

• Kilmar Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported and is now imprisoned in El Salvador.
• He is currently held in the country’s Terrorism Confinement Center.
• The U.S. confirmed his location but has not detailed plans for his return.
• A Supreme Court ruling ordered the Trump administration to bring him back.
• Federal Judge Paula Xinis demanded daily updates and clearer action.
• Government attorney admitted he had no knowledge of any repatriation steps.
• Abrego Garcia lived in the U.S. for 14 years, married, and raised 3 children.
• He was accused of gang ties but never charged and won protection from deportation.
• His removal was later called an “administrative error” by federal officials.
• El Salvador’s government currently holds him under their domestic authority.

Deep Look

In a developing legal and humanitarian controversy, the Trump administration acknowledged on Saturday that it had mistakenly deported a Maryland man to El Salvador, where he remains imprisoned in a notorious facility. The man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, is now being held in the Terrorism Confinement Center, according to a federal court filing submitted by a senior State Department official.

The confirmation came in response to a direct order from U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, who demanded to know Garcia’s exact location, custodial status, and—critically—what actions the U.S. government was taking to return him. Garcia’s removal violated a court order that had protected him from deportation due to likely persecution in El Salvador, where gangs had previously terrorized his family.

The administration’s filing, however, failed to address Judge Xinis’ central demand: What specific steps were being taken to bring Garcia back to the United States, per a U.S. Supreme Court ruling issued just two days earlier.

In a written statement submitted to the court, Michael G. Kozak, a senior official in the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, stated:

“It is my understanding based on official reporting from our Embassy in San Salvador that Abrego Garcia is currently being held in the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador. He is alive and secure in that facility. He is detained pursuant to the sovereign, domestic authority of El Salvador.”

Notably, Kozak’s statement did not outline any timeline, coordination efforts, or agency actions intended to facilitate Garcia’s return—details Judge Xinis had explicitly demanded. Her frustration became apparent during a tense hearing on Friday in which government attorneys were unable to explain Garcia’s whereabouts or next steps.

“Where is he and under whose authority?” Xinis asked repeatedly, voicing exasperation with the government’s lack of preparation. “The government was prohibited from sending him to El Salvador, and now I’m asking a very simple question: Where is he?”

The attorney representing the Justice Department, Drew Ensign, conceded that he had no personal knowledge of what, if anything, was being done to bring Garcia back. He explained that the case involved “significant coordination” across three Cabinet-level departments, and said officials were still “actively considering what could be done.”

Judge Xinis was unconvinced. She ordered the Justice Department to submit daily status updates on Garcia’s case until a resolution was in progress.

Garcia’s situation has ignited criticism and raised significant legal questions. According to court records, Garcia has lived in the U.S. for approximately 14 years, working in construction and raising three children with disabilities. He was married and had been granted a temporary stay of removal by a U.S. immigration judge after his attorneys demonstrated that he faced a credible threat of persecution if returned to El Salvador.

In 2019, local Maryland police accused Garcia of being affiliated with the MS-13 gang—a claim that Garcia and his attorneys vehemently deny. He was never formally charged, and a judge later ruled that he should not be deported due to the threats he faced from criminal groups in his home country. Nonetheless, he was deported last month, an act that the Trump administration later described as an “administrative error.”

Despite the mistake, the administration continues to allege Garcia’s gang affiliation—without providing new public evidence. Immigration advocates argue that such allegations, in the absence of formal charges or legal process, should not override judicial orders or lead to what they describe as a “de facto exile.”

The fact that Garcia is now being held in one of El Salvador’s most notorious detention centers—a facility known for housing alleged terrorists and gang members under extremely harsh conditions—has only intensified calls for swift U.S. action. Advocates fear for his safety and question whether the U.S. government is making a good-faith effort to comply with the Supreme Court’s directive.

Garcia’s attorneys say they are preparing to file additional motions to enforce the court’s return order and are considering international appeals if the U.S. fails to act. Human rights organizations have also begun monitoring the case, citing broader concerns about deportation errors and the treatment of asylum seekers and immigrants under past and present administrations.

As of Saturday evening, the Justice Department had not responded to media inquiries regarding what actions—if any—were underway to bring Garcia back to the U.S.

The case has become a flashpoint in ongoing debates over immigration enforcement, due process, and the balance of executive power in deportation proceedings. It also underscores the challenges that arise when federal agencies fail to follow court orders—especially when such errors carry life-or-death consequences for individuals caught in the crosshairs.

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