Amid questions regarding the deportation and alleged MS-13 affiliation of Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Trump administration is firmly defending its actions, citing multiple judicial rulings affirming the gang membership and dismissing calls to release specific underlying evidence to the public.
The issue arose during a recent exchange where US Attorney General Pam Bondi was questioned about Garcia’s case.
Garcia, who had been residing in Maryland, was deported to El Salvador and is now imprisoned there. The administration, including the President and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has asserted that Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang.
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Concerns were raised that Garcia would not face a trial and would not be returned to the U.S., prompting requests for the administration to show the public the evidence supporting the MS-13 allegation so an informed decision could be made.
A similar situation involving Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, apprehended in Virginia and facing deportation, was also mentioned.
Responding to the calls for evidence by a reporter on Wednesday, Bondi pushed back strongly. “He is an illegal alien who has been living illegally in our country from El Salvador,” she stated. She emphasized that Garcia’s alleged gang membership was adjudicated through the legal process:
“Ice testified. An immigration judge ruled. He was a member of MS-13, an appellate judge ruled. He was a member of MS-13 hard stop.”
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Bondi declared unequivocally, “He should not be in our country, he was deported.”
While acknowledging a minor paperwork issue requiring “one additional step,” she insisted it would not have changed the ultimate outcome and that Garcia was never going to be allowed to stay. “There was no situation ever where he was going to stay in this country. None, none,” she stressed.
Furthermore, Bondi highlighted the administration’s designation of MS-13 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
“MS-13 is characterized as they should be as an FTO,” she said, adding firmly, “so he is not coming back to our country… He’s from El Salvador. He’s in El Salvador, and that’s where the president plans on keeping him.”
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When pressed again to allow the public “to see the evidence,” Bondi offered to provide judicial records. “We have the transcripts from the… court hearing, so I’ll be glad to give you the court hearings from 2019… the rulings from the judges gladly,” she responded.
We will update this story when those documents are released.
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