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THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION released documents yesterday that revealed new details in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man deported to El Salvador a month ago in what a government lawyer called an “administrative error.”
The documents were released after weeks of pressure on the government to prove its contention that Abrego Garcia was a member of the LA-based MS-13 gang.
The Trump administration sent him to a notorious megaprison in the Central American country as part of its promised deportation programme of alleged criminals.
The Justice Department shared records, not previously made public, detailing how police officers in Maryland assessed Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 gang during an arrest in 2019.
Garvia has never been convicted of any crime, and had been granted a protected status that should have barred his deportation to El Salvador.
Since his wrongful deportation last month, Trump officials have claimed that Garcia is an illegal migrant, a gang member and he was involved in human trafficking.
A federal judge, backed by the US Supreme Court, has ordered Garcia’s return, but the Trump administration contends he is now solely in Salvadoran custody.
Nayib Bukele, who has proudly adopted the moniker of “world’s coolest dictator,” has said he does not have the power to send the man back.
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said he had also been refused a visit or phone call with Garcia, who remains imprisoned in his native country.
The White House condemned Van Hollen’s trip to the Central American country and invited the mother of a woman killed by another migrant from El Salvador – but in an unrelated case – to speak as a “special guest” at a hastily arranged news briefing.
Van Hollen said he had asked Vice President Felix Ulloa why Garcia was still locked up in the notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) if he had committed no crime, and El Salvador had no evidence that he was a member of street gang MS-13.
“His answer was that the Trump administration is paying El Salvador, the government of El Salvador, to keep him at CECOT,” Van Hollen, who represents Abrego Garcia’s home state of Maryland, told reporters during a visit to the Central American nation.
The Trump administration has paid President Nayib Bukele’s administration several million dollars to keep deportees in detention.
“I’m asking President Bukele… to do the right thing and allow Mr Abrego Garcia to walk out of prison, a man who’s charged with no crime, convicted of no crime, and who was illegally abducted from the United States,” Van Hollen said.
A legal US resident, Garcia was protected by a 2019 court order determining that he could not be deported to El Salvador, but he was sent there around a month ago.
The Trump administration has admitted an “administrative error” and has been ordered by the Supreme Court to “facilitate” the 29-year-old father’s return.
But the White House – pressed on what action it was taking to remedy its error in lower court hearings – has not announced any efforts toward Garcia’s return.
Bukele said during a White House visit on Monday he did not have the power to return Garcia to the United States.
The Trump administration has mounted an increasingly aggressive pushback, accusing Garcia of gang links and domestic violence without providing any conclusive evidence.
Adrressing reporters yesterday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt brought out Patty Morin of Maryland – whose daughter Rachel was beaten, raped and strangled in an unrelated 2023 case in which the Salvadoran murderer had been deported three times – to speak at a briefing.
“This is about protecting our children. It’s more than just politics or votes or just anything,” Morin told journalists.
Leavitt slammed the “appalling and sad” visit by the Democratic senator and accused him and the media of prioritizing Abrego Garcia’s case over that of Rachel Morin’s.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi meanwhile released what she called “additional information” including a police report that said his Chicago Bulls baseball cap indicated he was an MS-13 member.
He denies gang membership and has never been charged with crimes in either country.
But Trump’s critics have warned that his defiance of the courts has placed the country on the cusp of a constitutional crisis.
“It’s a short road from there to tyranny,” Van Hollen said earlier.
The issue has become a growing policial football.
West Virginia Republican congressman Riley Moore posted on X this week that he had also traveled to El Salvador to see the prison where immigrants deported by the Trump administration are being held.
He declared himself supportive of Trump’s actions, however.
Another Democratic senator, Cory Booker, and two Democratic members of the House of Representatives are also mulling a trip to the country.
Additional reporting from Andrew Walsh.
Need more clarity and context on how migration is being discussed in Ireland? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to finding good information online.
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What??? Something Trump said wasn’t factually accurate… well I never!
@Eugene Tyson: Both USA and China have being attacking each other over the pandemic, think taking it all with pinch of salt is a good call
@Eugene Tyson: At this point anyone who supports Trump is a troll, brainwashed or as awful a person as he is.
More lies anyone surprised ?
@bmul: Trump will never let the truth get in the way of a good deflection.
@Crispy Brown: The Lancet?
@Crispy Brown: read the article!!!
@Pat Casey: or a successful election
@Crispy Brown: are you a bleach gargler?
No lie should be tolerated.
Especially from a president of US
@Eugene Fitzgerald: In that regard there’s two separate issues here, Trump is being dishonest and the Chinese were, and may be continuing to be dishonest. Trumps lie is claiming the Lancet wrote a report in December which would support his version of events, clearly it didn’t.
That said, there’s little doubt at this point the Chinese weren’t exactly honest either and the bulk of Trump’s claims may contain some substance. Unfortunately we’ll never know. When countries like Australia called for an independent international investigation into the virus China imposed trade sanctions against them. Yesterday, when over 100 countries joined Australia call Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared to relent and agreed to an investigation, but only if headed by the WHO.
As far as the Chinese are concerned they’re capitulating, as far as everyone else is concerned this is very doubtful and they’re chosing who to investigate them, they still can’t be trusted.
@Arch Angel: And the EU were the ones who proposed the watered down investigation that the Chinese agreed to. Not sure why.
@Arch Angel: I get why it’s suspect that they chose their investigators but who else could investigate the outbreak of a global pandemic?
He doesn’t even care anymore… all the lies all for the mentally blind voters’ votes.. (facepalm)
Many Trump supporters not addressing the fact that he has misquoted a high impact factor medical journal. His lies usually then evolve into claiming reports are ‘fake news’, or dismissing the publication as ‘failing’. Is he going to do that with the Lancet? What next? The NEJM? Whether the WHO could have done better is irrelevant, whether China is wholly responsible is irrelevant and whether you feel the media are being ‘mean’ is irrelevant. Lying repeatedly about scientific research and promoting anti-intellectualism to appeal to his base is wrong and will bite him in the arse as he’s dealing with a virus that doesn’t give a toss about his ‘numbers’, and he can’t give it a juvenile name and jeer at it to entertain his supporters. He is not up for the job as he inherently lacks empathy…
Would actually be more surprised if the fanta orange oaf was telling the truth
This is the man who (in a Rose Garden ceremony for emergency personnel who responded at ground zero on September 11) said he went to ground zero that day, although he wouldn’t consider himself a ‘first responder’. Trump lied face to face to the people who were there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zDmHzx0mFs
Surprised he doesn’t lie about his name since he lies about everything else.
@Marcus Suridius: He lied about his father being born in Germany. It was New York.
@Marcus Suridius: lol. 5 year olds response. Your best Marcus?
Anyone supporting the WHO after their recent behaviour and chinese links is a disgrace. Trump is right to defund them.
@Atreyu.: so you think it’s ok for Trump to outright lie in order to justify the other lies he’s telling about the WHO? Gosh you must be exhausted from all the mental gymnastics.
@Atreyu.: you’re easily fooled.
@Atreyu.: here here.
@Atreyu.: and do you know what the WHO do?
What would replace them and their role in world health?
If we cannot support this arm of the United Nations who can we support?
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.
@Atreyu.: I’m amazed that the WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION has connections to one of the biggest countries in the WORLD.
Facts must not be allowed interfere with exhibiting leadership and strength in an election year.
Ah sure he the ‘President’ lies every day and gets away with it.
@Teresa Scanlon:
Is calling a person a liar as you have just done without provided any proof is acceptable in a civilised metropolitan society or even in Kildare?
@Pat Coyne: Proof’s in the article above, my dear.
Got it – Orange Man Bad – The Journal for Journalism
@Fergal Pigat: You dont think the fact that he lied about the Lancet report in this letter is newsworthy?
It must be great fun for those of you who love to jump on any old bandwagon to make yourselves feel better and part of something. Like a team maybe. But when you compare Trump to the democratic opposition he faces its laughable. The DNC is an absolute travesty of justice and truth. Watch it all unfold in the near future. And with any unlikely luck you may even deem it necessary to actually investigate the nonsense to which you all gleefully adhere. Sad little people.
@Frank Mc Caffery: Your post is as vague and incoherent as the President of the USA
@Frank Mc Caffery: No comment on the lies in question then Frank? Thought not. Pitiful attempt.
@ihcalaM: It would obviously take a very long time to address the amount uninformed drivel that surrounds Trump. All too evident in Journal posts. It was that fact I was commenting about. It’s sickening to read the sheeples voice when they are informed by the most partisan media the USA has ever witnessed. I take for granted that the truth will out and forgotten about as usual. So Mal, your quite correct I suppose. Keep reading Mal.
@Frank Mc Caffery: And Frank what is your opinion on what Trump wrote, irrespective of the rest of the commentary?
@Frank Mc Caffery: Think you misunderstood me Frank. I was wondering what you thought of Trump’s latest lie. My point is that you seem to be so caught up in whinging about the DNC (nobody is actually defending them) while Trump’s obvious lying seems to get no comment from your good self.
Was just hoping you could clear up your stance on his consistent dishonesty (P.S. you can’t blame the “mainstream meejia” this time, a highly respected medical journal told him to stuff it).
Trump should be permanently wired up to a lie detector machine and the results should be broadcasted all over America and elsewhere.
@Irish big fellow: Doing that would probably create a singularity from the electrical overload. The singularity would collapse this universe.
I don’t think its my imagination…..but .has anybody noticed his hair seems to be getting less and less……This is one of the side effects of that stuff he has been taking or has he found a barber to delve into the mass of hair……..
He knows some will still believe him, it’s all about votes
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