A Salvadoran man deported from Maryland is now the center of a fiery political and legal battle involving MS-13 allegations, Supreme Court orders, and a diplomatic standoff between the U.S. and El Salvador.
At a Glance
- Supreme Court ruled Kilmar Abrego Garcia must be returned to the U.S.
- El Salvador refuses release, citing MS-13 gang ties
- DHS claims he’s dangerous; critics say evidence is flimsy
- Domestic violence allegations raise further controversy
- Legal and political tensions escalate over immigration enforcement
Deportation Despite Court Protections
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national living in Maryland, was deported in March 2025—despite a 2019 immigration judge’s ruling protecting him from removal due to credible threats of gang violence in El Salvador. The Trump administration later admitted the deportation was an “administrative error,” as reported by Reuters.
Although the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous order requiring the federal government to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has refused to release him. In a tweet, Bukele stated no one linked to terrorist organizations like MS-13 or Barrio 18 would be freed.
Questions Over Gang Allegations
The Department of Homeland Security claims Abrego Garcia is a member of MS-13. Officials point to a 2019 incident where he was allegedly found with drugs, cash, and other gang members during a murder investigation in Maryland. A confidential source reportedly identified him as a “Chequeo”—an entry-level gang rank.
But according to AP News, no formal charges were ever filed. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has expressed skepticism about the strength of the evidence, and Abrego Garcia’s lawyers argue his rights were trampled: “If the government believes there is a legitimate case to be made, it should present that case in a court of law.”
Watch CBS News’ report on the standoff at El Salvador won’t return man mistakenly deported from US.
Domestic Violence and Political Divide
Adding to the controversy, court records show that Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, filed for a protective order and accused him of repeated domestic abuse, including being struck with a work boot and punched in the eye. However, she later stated the couple sought counseling and that she does not believe he poses a current danger, according to WUSA9.
Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost labeled the deportation part of “a government-funded kidnapping rampage,” while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem countered that media coverage was overly sympathetic to criminals, not their victims. “We hear far too much in the mainstream media about sob stories of gang members and criminal illegals and not enough about their victims,” she said, as cited by Yahoo News.
Families Demand Focus on Victims
Some victim advocates argue that focus on Abrego Garcia has overshadowed crimes committed by undocumented immigrants. The mother of Rachel Morrin, a Maryland woman brutally killed in 2023, blasted officials for championing Garcia while her daughter’s case receives scant attention. “Why does that person have more rights than I do, or my daughter, or my grandchildren?” she asked in Fox News.
Despite political pressure and the high court’s order, Abrego Garcia remains in a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. The Biden administration has not announced any enforcement action to comply with the ruling, leaving the man at the center of the storm in legal and diplomatic limbo.
Watch WUSA9’s interview with his wife at Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s wife speaks about his deportation.
