US President Donald Trump on Friday defended the controversial deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident sent to El Salvador last month despite a court order protecting him from removal.
Sharing a photo of a tattooed hand allegedly belonging to Abrego Garcia, Trump said, “This is the hand of the man that the Democrats feel should be brought back to the United States, because he is such ‘a fine and innocent person.’ They said he is not a member of MS-13, even though he’s got MS-13 tattooed onto his knuckles… I must be allowed to do my job. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Trump’s remarks came amid renewed political controversy following the release of fresh images of Abrego Garcia, who appeared relaxed and smiling while sipping margaritas with Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen in El Salvador.
The images were posted on X by El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, who mocked earlier claims that Abrego Garcia was being tortured, saying: “Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the ‘death camps’ & ‘torture’, now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen.”
Abrego Garcia, 29, was deported on March 15 despite an active US immigration court order blocking his removal. His lawyers claim the deportation violated both due process and international law. The US Supreme Court has upheld a lower court’s ruling demanding efforts to return him, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted Wednesday that “Abrego Garcia will never live in the United States of America,” alleging MS-13 ties and domestic violence accusations.
His wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, has denied those claims, stating the restraining order cited by Leavitt was filed “out of caution” and later resolved through counselling. “This is about due process and the rule of law,” Van Hollen said after meeting Abrego Garcia on Thursday. “We won’t give up until Kilmar has his due process rights respected.”
Senator Van Hollen’s visit to El Salvador was partly blocked by Salvadoran officials, who refused him access to the high-security CECOT prison where Abrego Garcia was reportedly held. El Salvador’s Vice President Félix Ulloa also rejected a request to release the detainee, saying his government has no plans to return him.
Democrats argue the case illustrates the Trump administration’s disregard for legal norms, with Rep. Robert Garcia calling it “a constitutional crisis.” A Democratic delegation, including Sen. Cory Booker and Rep. Maxwell Frost, is planning a visit to El Salvador to assess Abrego Garcia’s status.
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have praised the deportation. Reps. Riley Moore and Jason Smith visited the CECOT prison, supporting Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants. The administration has also invoked past crimes by Salvadoran nationals in the US to justify its policy, including the 2023 murder of Rachel Morin.
