A high-stakes international standoff is unfolding after Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident with legal protection from deportation, was sent to a notorious Salvadoran prison in March—despite a U.S. court order forbidding his removal. The Trump administration called the deportation an “administrative error,” but continues to allege Garcia’s ties to MS-1, claims his legal team strongly denies.
Garcia, who fled gang violence in El Salvador as a teenager and lived legally in Maryland with his American wife and children, was granted “withholding of removal” status in 2019—meant to protect him from exactly this fate. Nevertheless, he was deported and detained at the CECOT mega-prison under a bilateral agreement, even though he has never been convicted of a crime in either country.
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Garcia’s deportation was illegal and ordered the administration to facilitate his return. Yet, both the Trump administration and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele have resisted, with Bukele refusing to release Garcia and the White House claiming it lacks authority to intervene further.
Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland traveled to El Salvador this week, meeting Garcia and urging Salvadoran officials to release him. Van Hollen called the situation a “grave injustice” and pledged to keep fighting for Garcia’s return. Legal experts warn the case sets a dangerous precedent, raising fears about executive overreach and the limits of judicial power in immigration enforcement.
