The Trump administration has confirmed to a federal judge that Maryland man wrongly expelled last month is “living and secure” but remains confined in a notorious prison El Salvador.
The deposit by the United States Department of State, however, did not address the The judge’s requests that the administration details the steps it was necessary to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia in the United States.
“It is my understanding on the basis of the official reports of our embassy in San Salvador that Garcia Garcia is currently detained at the Terrorism Confainment Center in Salvador,” said Michael G. Kozak, a senior State Department official, in the file submitted a few minutes after the deadline at 5 p.m. fixed by the judge. “He is alive and secure in this establishment. He is detained in accordance with the sovereign national authority of El Salvador.”
Kozak identified in the file as a “senior office” at the office of the State Department of Affairs of the Western Hemisphere.
On Saturday, President Trump revealed that he had to meet President Salvadoran Nayib Bukele on Monday.
“Our nations work in close collaboration to eradicate terrorist organizations and build a future of prosperity,” he said in an article on social social, adding: “These barbarians are now under the sole care of El Salvador, a proud and sovereign nation, and their future is up to President B and its government. They will not threaten our citizens again!”
The State Department’s file occurs one day after a lawyer for the United States government had trouble providing US District Judge Paula Xinis With any information about the place where Garcia is located. Xinis made an order after Friday’s hearing forced the administration to disclose “the current physical location of Garcia and the status of guard” and “what stages, if necessary, the defendants took (and) will take and when, to facilitate” its return.
Kozak’s declaration did not meet the judge’s latest requirements.
Xinis was exasperated on Friday with the lack of information from the government.
“Where is it and under the authority who?” The judge asked the hearing. “I do not ask for the secrets of the state. All I know is that it is not here. The government was forbidden to send it to Salvador, and now I ask a very simple question: where is it?”
On Thursday, the United States Supreme Court said the Trump The administration must facilitate the release of Abrego Garcia.
Abrego Garcia, who lives in Maryland with his wife and childrenwas arrested and moved to Salvador last month after the Trump administration officials accused him of having links with the Gang MS-13. His lawyers said he had no affiliation with MS-13 and had never been charged or found guilty of criminal offenses in the United States or Salvador.
The 29 -year -old is confined to the notorious of the Salvadorian prison known as the name Cecotwith Other migrants Sent by the administration as part of an agreement with Bukele. Under the agreement, the US government is Pay the Salvadoral Government $ 6 million To keep us the prisoners.
But the case of Abrego Garica emerged as a flash point in the repression of Mr. Trump’s immigration after an official of American immigration recognized in a judicial file That his referral to El Salvador was an “administrative error” and “surveillance”.
Jacob Rosen and Melissa Quinn contributed to this report.
