The State Department has confirmed that Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man wrongly deported to El Salvador, is alive but still detained in a Salvadoran prison. Michael G. Kozak, a senior official at the State Department, stated that Abrego Garcia is being held in the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador.
“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,” Kozak said in a declaration submitted on Saturday. “He is alive and secure in that facility,” he added, noting that Garcia is detained under El Salvador’s domestic authority. The update comes after Judge Paula Xinis of the Federal District Court in Maryland ordered the government to provide a plan for Abrego Garcia’s return to the United States by 5 p.m. on Saturday.
However, the administration did not fully comply with the order, only confirming his current status and location. Abrego Garcia, who had a 2019 court order preventing his deportation, was erroneously sent to El Salvador, a country he fled in 2011 due to political violence.
Detainee’s status confirmed by State Department
He was placed in the CECOT mega-prison following what U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement described as an “administrative error.”
President Donald Trump acknowledged El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s acceptance of detainees labeled as violent by the United States in a social media post, without directly mentioning Abrego Garcia. The two leaders are scheduled to meet at the White House on Monday. Attorneys for Abrego Garcia have filed additional motions for relief, citing Trump’s comments as evidence of the U.S. government’s ability to facilitate his release.
They requested the government demonstrate why it should not be held in contempt for not complying with prior court orders and called for immediate steps to ensure Abrego Garcia’s return, including providing air transportation and granting him parole. The Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s order, stating the U.S. government must “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s release and treat his case as if he had not been improperly deported. However, the Trump administration has contended that because Abrego Garcia is no longer in U.S. custody, American courts cannot compel his return.
Abrego Garcia’s lawyers argue that he has been wrongly accused of being a member of the MS-13 gang, a claim his wife also denies. They continue to advocate for his immediate release and safe return to Maryland. Further developments are expected as U.S. and Salvadoran officials negotiate the terms of Abrego Garcia’s return, while his legal team continues to push for compliance with court orders.
Image Credits: Photo by Matthew Ansley on Unsplash
April Isaacs is a news contributor for DevX.com She is long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
