Trump’s Controversial Expedited Deportation!
Washington, Apr 3 (EFE).-
A federal judge said on Friday that the Trump administration acted illegally when it sent a Salvadoran man to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in his home country amid a controversial expedited deportation that also affects over 200 Venezuelans and ordered his return to the US.
President Donald Trump’s administration has until Monday midnight to return Kilmer Armado Abrego-Garcia to the US, Judge Paula Xinis ruled in a Maryland court.
Lawyers for the 29-year-old Salvadoran migrant sued Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), arguing that Abrego-Garcia is protected by a court order and should not be deported to El Salvador, where his life is in danger.
Abrego-Garcia, a resident of Prince George’s County in Maryland, was targeted by authorities after an informant claimed in 2019 that he was a member of the MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) criminal gang.
Although he was initially considered deportable, a judge granted him a stay of that order after he applied for asylum, according to the lawsuit.
However, on Mar. 12, ICE detained Abrego-Garcia, arguing that his status had changed.
On Mar. 15, he was sent in one of the three planes that transported over 200 Venezuelans and dozens of Salvadorans to the Central American country, where they were detained in CECOT, the country’s maximum security prison.
Following the trial, an ICE official admitted to the judge that Abrego-Garcia’s deportation was “a mistake” while arguing that the authorities had acted in “good faith” but could not bring him back.
Judge Xinis said Abrego-Garcia’s deportation to El Salvador was “illegal” and ordered his return.
Thursday morning, the Salvadoran’s family and members of the migrant organization CASA rallied to warn of the danger he faces in his home country.
Abrego-Garcia is married to a US citizen. He is the father of a five-year-old son and has two stepchildren, all born in the US.
“Kilmar (Abrego-Garcia) is an excellent father; he has always been there for our three children. Two of them have autism, and the third has epilepsy… Since our family split up, I feel devastated and confused. I lost my partner, and my children lost their father because of this unjust family separation,” said Jennifer Vásquez, the deportee’s wife. EFE amv/dgp/mcd
