US President, Donald Trump and El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele made it clear during an Oval Office meeting on Monday, April 14 that Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident wrongly deported to El Salvador, will not be returned to the United States.
This stance comes despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that requires the federal government to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return. White House officials have argued that while the ruling obligates facilitation, it does not compel El Salvador to comply. When asked directly by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins whether he would return Abrego Garcia, President Bukele dismissed the suggestion.
“I hope you’re not suggesting that I smuggle a terrorist into the United States,” Bukele said. “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? Of course I’m not going to do it. The question is preposterous.”
The Supreme Court’s brief and unsigned decision left in place an earlier order by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis requiring the U.S. government to take steps toward Abrego Garcia’s return. However, the justices clarified that while the government must “facilitate” the return, it is not required to “effectuate” it — a subtle but significant distinction.
Senior White House officials have pushed back against Judge Xinis’ order, arguing that it encroaches on the executive branch’s authority to conduct foreign policy. In recent days, President Trump has shifted his position. After initially saying he would respect the Supreme Court’s ruling, he has since echoed the White House’s interpretation.
“If the Supreme Court said bring somebody back I would do that. I respect the Supreme Court,” Trump said last week. However, he has not made moves to enforce the decision.
Abrego Garcia reportedly entered the U.S. illegally around 2011. In 2019, an immigration judge reviewed his case and determined that he should not be deported, citing credible threats from a gang in El Salvador targeting his family due to their pupusa business. Despite that ruling, he was later deported under disputed circumstances.