Maryland Man Wrongfully Deported Due To Administrative Error.
A Maryland man who was legally residing in the United States has been deported to El Salvador and imprisoned there due to an “administrative error,” officials from the Trump administration confirmed in a court filing on Monday. Despite the mistake, the officials claimed that American courts lacked jurisdiction to secure his release.
Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia had been living in the U.S. under protected legal status since October 2019. His wife and five-year-old child are both U.S. citizens. However, on 12 March, immigration agents stopped him and incorrectly informed him that his status had changed, according to court documents.
Although Mr. Abrego Garcia was under a “withholding from removal” status—meaning he had a deportation order but was allowed to remain in the U.S. due to potential dangers in El Salvador—he was forcibly removed three days later. He is now being held in El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, known as CECOT, a high-security prison.
Trump administration officials stated in the court filing that they could not rectify the mistake since Mr. Abrego Garcia was no longer in U.S. custody. His wrongful deportation was initially reported by The Atlantic.
The case has raised concerns about the treatment of individuals under legal protection and the mechanisms in place to prevent such errors from occurring.
