El Salvador President Nayib Bukele announced on Monday (April 14) that he will not return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident mistakenly deported to El Salvador, to the United States. The statement was made during a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House. Bukele, sitting beside President Trump, said, "How can I return him to the United States? Am I going to smuggle him? Of course I’m not going to do it," emphasizing the preposterous nature of the request.
The U.S. Supreme Court had previously ruled that the Trump administration must facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia, who had been granted protection from deportation by a court in 2019. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that the administration was not obligated to follow court orders in this matter, stating, "No court in the United States has a right to conduct the foreign policy of the United States."
During the meeting, President Trump thanked Bukele for his cooperation in the Trump administration’s efforts to deport undocumented immigrants, including more than 200 Venezuelans housed in El Salvador’s mega-prison. Trump stated, "You are helping us out, and we appreciate it."
Despite the Supreme Court's ruling, Attorney General Pam Bondi remarked that the decision to return Abrego Garcia lies with El Salvador.