El Salvador Refuses to Return Wrongfully Deported Maryland Man

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has refused to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident wrongfully deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration.

Photo by: Ken Cedeno/UPI

Speaking alongside President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Monday, Bukele dismissed the possibility of returning Garcia, calling the idea “preposterous.”

“How can I return him to the United States? Am I going to smuggle him? Of course I’m not going to do it,” Bukele stated.

His remarks come despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week mandating that the Trump administration “facilitate” Garcia’s return after acknowledging his deportation was an “administrative error.”

Garcia, a Salvadoran national who had lived in Maryland for 14 years with his U.S. citizen wife and children, was deported in March despite a 2019 court order protecting him from removal due to fears of gang persecution.

He is currently detained in El Salvador’s notorious Terrorism Confinement Center. The Trump administration has claimed Garcia is affiliated with MS-13, though he has never been charged with a crime—a claim his attorneys vehemently deny.

The legal battle over Garcia’s return has intensified. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis previously ordered the government to ensure his repatriation, calling his deportation “entirely lawless.” However, administration officials argue that they lack authority to compel El Salvador to comply.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that foreign policy remains under executive control, stating, “No court in the United States has a right to conduct the foreign policy of the United States.”

The Supreme Court upheld much of Judge Xinis’ ruling but asked for clarification on how the government should facilitate Garcia’s return without overstepping executive authority.

Critics argue that the administration’s stance sets a dangerous precedent, potentially undermining due process for immigrants and U.S. citizens alike.

Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, described the ordeal as an “emotional rollercoaster” and vowed to continue fighting for her husband’s return. “I am anxiously waiting for Kilmar to be here in my arms and at home with our children,” she said.

The case highlights broader tensions between judicial orders and executive authority in immigration policy.

Legal experts warn that failure to act could erode protections against wrongful deportations and embolden unchecked government power in immigration enforcement.

Judge Xinis is set to hold another hearing on Tuesday to assess whether the administration is complying with her order. Meanwhile, Garcia remains imprisoned as his fate hangs in legal limbo.