Kilmar Abrego Garcia Maryland Father Improperly Deported Is Alive in El Salvador Mega-Prison, Says State Department Official
A Maryland father who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador is currently being held in a high-security prison there
According to new court filings from a U.S. State Department official.
The U.S. Supreme Court on April 10 ordered the Trump administration to assist in the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old
Salvadoran national who had lived in the United States for more than ten years.
The following day, a federal judge demanded that the administration provide immediate details about his location.
In an April 12 court filing, Michael Kozak, a senior official at the State Department, confirmed that Abrego Garcia is alive.
“He is alive and secure in that facility.
Despite being required to submit daily updates, the Trump administration has released limited information on how it intends to bring
Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the United States.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, based in Maryland, ordered federal officials to provide daily reports detailing Abrego Garcia’s
Location and outlining the actions taken—or planned—to facilitate his return before the next court hearing scheduled for April 16.
The Trump administration has acknowledged that it mistakenly detained and deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador
Where he has been held at the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) for nearly a month.
“They’ve had more than enough time,” said Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, co-counsel for Abrego Garcia.
“He should already be back in the United States. It’s just a five-hour flight.”
The family has urged U.S. officials to assign personnel to guarantee Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s
Safe transfer to the plane that will bring him back to the United States.
They have also requested that the U.S. government provide the necessary documentation for his re-entry and continued stay in the country.
Despite previously stating they have a $6 million agreement with the Salvadoran government to detain hundreds of migrants
Accused of gang affiliations, administration officials now claim they have no control over Abrego Garcia’s custody.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has even visited the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT)
Including during the time Abrego Garcia was held there.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele is set to visit the White House on April 14 at the invitation of President Donald Trump.
However, the White House has ruled out the option of Bukele bringing Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the U.S. on his plane.
During an April 11 court hearing, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis—an appointee of former President Barack Obama—repeatedly questioned Justice Department
Attorney Drew Ensign about Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s condition and location.
Ensign admitted that he had not received any additional information from administration officials, despite Xinis’s prior order to provide updates.
Abrego Garcia, a sheet metal worker, was arrested by federal immigration agents on March 12
After being pulled over in an Ikea parking lot near his home in Beltsville, Maryland, roughly 30 minutes from Washington, D.C.
The Trump administration has accused him of being affiliated with the MS-13 gang but has yet to present any evidence to support the allegation.
His wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, along with their 5-year-old son—who was in the backseat during his arrest—filed a lawsuit against the government demanding his return.