Trump administration erroneously deports man to El Salvador, says he was member of criminal gang

US President Donald Trump's second term has already seen a lot of deportations. In one such case, Kilmer Abrego-Garcia was erroneously deported to El Salvador. The man was deported in one of the three high-profile deportation flights to El Salvador in March. The administration said he was a member of the MS-13 gang, which is an international criminal group. In contrast, the judge, in his ruling, prohibited his removal from his home country.

Abrego-Garcia's lawyers have demanded his return to the United States. A complaint filed by his family mentions that his 5-year-old son and wife are both US citizens residing in Maryland. It also noted that he was driving with his son seated in the backseat when ICE officers stopped his car and handcuffed him.

However, the Trump administration refrained from bringing him back from El Salvador, saying they did not have the legal authority to expedite the process of return.

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US Department of Homeland Security, spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin ,wrote on X, "The media’s favorite “Maryland father” is actually a member of the brutal MS-13 gang in our country illegally. In fact, DHS intelligence reports show that he is involved in human trafficking."

She added, "The media knows that, but continue to do the bidding of these vicious gangs that terrorize Americans, while ignoring the victims. Whether this gang member is in El Salvador or a detention facility in the US, Americans can rest assured that he is off our streets & locked up."

As reported in news agency Reuters, ICE official Robert Cerna said in the court document, "Through administrative error, Abrego-Garcia was removed from the United States to El Salvador, opens new tab. This was an oversight, and the removal was carried out in good faith based on the existence of a final order of removal and Abrego-Garcia's purported membership in MS-13."

As part of the massive crackdown, Venezuelans and Salvadoreans were deported from the US, alleging that those deported had ties with criminal gangs. While some on the list of deportees have refused to have any connection with the said gangs, many had active US asylum cases.