According to new court filings by a State Department official, a Maryland father who was wrongly deported to El Salvador is currently being held at a large prison there. The US Supreme Court recently directed the Trump Administration to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national who has lived in the US for more than ten years. Following this directive, a federal judge ordered immediate information on his location. A senior State Department official confirmed on April 12 that Abrego Garcia is alive and detained in the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador.
Despite court-ordered daily updates, the Trump administration has provided limited information on the plans for Abrego Garcia’s return to the US. US District Judge Paula Xinis has mandated daily reports on his whereabouts and the steps taken to bring him back ahead of the next hearing on April 16. The administration acknowledged the mistake in deporting him to El Salvador and detaining him in the Terrorism Confinement Center. The family is requesting assistance to ensure his safe return to the US.
Officials state they lack control over his custody, despite a previous agreement with the Salvadoran government to house migrants accused of gang ties. The Supreme Court has ordered the Trump Administration to return Abrego Garcia, and there are ongoing discussions with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele regarding his return. Judicial inquiries continue into Abrego Garcia’s status and location, as his family seeks his safe repatriation.
