Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legal resident of Maryland, was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March 2025, despite having protection from deportation since 2019. The error, caused by a clerical mistake under the Trump administration, has sparked outrage across the U.S.
Now detained in El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison without charges, Kilmar faces an uncertain future. A U.S. federal judge ruled the deportation illegal and ordered his return. But El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele refuses, calling him a “terrorist” and claiming he has no authority to release him.
American lawmakers and human rights groups are demanding his immediate return. Some Congress members plan to travel to El Salvador to push for Kilmar’s release.
This case highlights the dangers of flawed immigration enforcement and the limits of U.S. influence abroad. Kilmar’s family and supporters continue to fight to bring him home.