Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador, stated that he has no intention of sending Kilmar Armando Abrego García back to the United States, following his deportation back to his native country.
Despite a previous Supreme Court decision stating that the Trump administration should take “steps to facilitate” the possible return of the purported MS-13 member living in Maryland, who was deported to the Central American country, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele asserted on Monday that he is powerless to send the man back to the United States.
Additionally, Salvadoran officials, including the president, are not obligated to adhere to rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court.
El Salvador is a sovereign nation with its own laws and judicial system.
U.S. Supreme Court rulings apply only within the jurisdiction of the United States. While there may be extradition treaties or international agreements between the U.S. and El Salvador, any cooperation based on those is voluntary and subject to Salvadoran law, not U.S. court mandates. The U.S. may request that El Salvador take certain actions, like extradition or deportation, but compliance is up to Salvadoran authorities — including the president and their legal system.
Abrego Garcia’s lawyer, Benjamin Osorio, told ABC News that he had “very serious concerns” about Bukele’s statement. According to Osorio, President Trump and Bukele are “both incentivized” to avoid bringing Abrego Garcia back.
“Bukele’s doing this because that’s obviously what Trump wants, right?,” Osorio said. “Because if they bring [Abrego Garcia] back, it’s going to be a media frenzy, and this guy’s gonna be all over the news, and then we’ll know about his experience.”
The Salvadoran president elaborated further on his perspective regarding the issue.
“I hope you are not suggesting that I smuggle terrorists into the United States,” Bukele told reporters while sitting alongside President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. “Of course, I’m not going to do it.
“The question is preposterous,” he added. “I don’t have the power to return him to the United States.”
Kilmar Abrego García and over 260 other suspected gang members were sent to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a maximum security prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador, last month in accordance with the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act.
Meanwhile, Abrego García’s family denies the Trump administration’s arguments in court filings that he is “confirmed to be a ranking member of the MS-13 gang by a proven and reliable source.”