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Category: Immigration
April 18, 2025
Immigration

Trump Criticizes Democrat Senator’s Visit to El Salvador as Attention-Seeking.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump criticized Senator Chris Van Hollen for his visit to El Salvador, where the senator met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant allegedly deported without due process.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Trump, Senator Chris Van Hollen, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

📍 Where & When: El Salvador, Truth Social, Friday morning.

💬 Key Quote: “Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for attention from the Fake News Media, or anyone. GRANDSTANDER!!!” – President Trump.

⚠️ Impact: The Democrat senator is under fire for showing an inordinate amount of care for an illegal alien gang member, while having remained largely silent on the victims of migrant crime, such as Laken Riley and Rachel Morin.

IN FULL:

President Donald J. Trump has publicly criticized Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen following the Democrat’s visit to El Salvador. Van Hollen was there to take up the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia—an illegal immigrant, accused MS-13 gang member, and domestic abuser—deported to his native country under the Alien Enemies Act. Trump expressed his disapproval through a post on Truth Social on Friday morning, dismissing Van Hollen’s actions as attention-seeking.

“Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for attention from the Fake News Media, or anyone. GRANDSTANDER!!!” the America First leader wrote. Initially, Van Hollen was not able to meet with Garcia or even speak to him over the phone, but an in-person meeting was eventually arranged.

Photos of the meeting between Van Hollen and Abrego Garcia show them sharing a drink, speculated by some to be a margarita, sparking varied reactions. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele remarked, “Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the ‘death camps’ & ‘torture’, now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!”

He later added, “Now that he’s been confirmed healthy, he gets the honor of staying in El Salvador’s custody.”

The relaxed atmosphere in the photos of Van Hollen’s meeting contrasts sharply with the stern images of the CECOT mega-prison, where some gangsters deported to El Salvador are held. Van Hollen said he had passed on a “message of love” from Garcia to his wife, who previously filed a protective order against him, complaining she was “afraid to be close to him” after receiving several beatings.

Photographs of Garcia’s meeting with Van Hollen show him sporting many tattoos, with social media users arguing that ink visible on his knuckles indicates he is a member of MS-13, as police informants attested in the U.S.

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April 18, 2025
William Upton
Crime
Immigration

American Citizen Convicted Over Self-Defense Stabbing of Migrant Who Groped Her.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: A 20-year-old German-American woman has been convicted in Germany after she stabbed a 64-year-old Eritrean asylum seeker who groped her at a railway station in 2024.

👥 Who’s Involved: A 20-year-old German woman with U.S. citizenship, a 64-year-old Eritrean asylum seeker, Alem Tekeste, and German prosecutors.

📍 Where & When: A 2024 stabbing incident at a Kaiserslautern, Germany, railway station; the trial began earlier this month.

💬 Key Quote: “If you are no longer in an emergency situation, you become the attacker yourself,” the German judge insisted, despite evidence that the migrant man had continued to assault the woman before she stabbed him.

⚠️ Impact: The 20-year-old German-American woman, identified only as Fallyn B, received a two-year suspended sentence after being convicted of manslaughter.

IN FULL:

A 20-year-old German-American dual national, identified in court documents only as Fallyn B, has been convicted of manslaughter in a German court, stemming from a 2024 incident where she fatally stabbed a 64-year-old Eritrean asylum seeker after he groped her buttocks in a Kaiserslautern, Germany, railway station. While attorneys representing the woman maintained that she merely wished to keep the Eritrean man—identified as Alem Tekeste—at a distance, German prosecutors insisted that she could have avoided killing the migrant during the incident last summer. Notably, defendants do not have a right to a trial by a jury of their peers in Germany, with judges determining guilt.

The conviction marks a concerning turn for criminal justice in the European country, which has seen a spike in violent crime perpetrated by migrants and asylum seekers. Notably, her defense was predicated on the fact that not only did Tekeste grope her on an escalator in the station—an act the court and prosecutors acknowledged was criminal—but that he proceeded to follow her and attempted to grab her buttocks again, leading to the fatal stabbing. This recollection of events was confirmed by security camera footage and eyewitness testimony that demonstrated Tekeste did indeed follow the woman and attempted to grope her again as she walked through an underpass. It was during this second groping attempt that the woman produced a pocket knife that she used to defend herself, stabbing the African migrant fatally in the chest.

Despite the concrete evidence confirming her actions were in self-defense, German prosecutors insisted that Tekeste had retreated after the knife was produced and that the woman proceeded to pursue him, escalating the confrontation before Tekeste reached for the woman’s knife, resulting in her stabbing him. Notably, the woman fled the station immediately after the stabbing, texting a friend: “I think I just killed someone.” She proceeded to promptly turn herself in, indicating that she had no intention of killing the man.

The judge presiding over the trial bizarrely excoriated the German-American woman, telling her at the sentencing: “If you are no longer in an emergency situation, you become the attacker yourself.” However, even this claim was called into question during the trial by the defense, producing an eyewitness who testified that the woman screamed “Don’t touch me!” during the attack. Even more concerning, the court ignored Tekeste’s past criminal history. The migrant was fined at least four times in 2024 for sexual harassment and was a known criminal figure to local authorities.

The manslaughter conviction comes with a two-year suspended sentence, meaning she will serve no jail time if she completes 500 hours of community service and attends a mandatory drug counseling program.

Image by Nika Poznyak. 

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April 17, 2025
Immigration
Lawfare

Trump Administration Requests Emergency Relief to Counter Boasberg’s Contempt Threat.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The Trump administration requested a federal appeals court to review a lower court order regarding March 15 deportation flights, following potential contempt findings.

👥 Who’s Involved: U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, Trump administration officials, and the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

📍 Where & When: The appeal was made on Wednesday, court actions relate to deportation flights halted on March 15.

💬 Key Quote: U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has stated, “The Court ultimately determines that the Government’s actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its Order.”

⚠️ Impact: The administration has been directed to submit declarations by April 23, or face potential prosecution. The issue is part of broader disputes about immigration in U.S. federal courts.

IN FULL:

On Wednesday, the Trump administration sought an appellate court’s review of a recent decision by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who threatened to hold administration officials in contempt over the handling of deportation flights that occurred on March 15.

Earlier in the day, Judge Boasberg indicated there was probable cause to believe that administration officials had not adhered to a court directive requiring the return of deportation flights carrying illegal aliens to El Salvador. In his ruling, Boasberg warned of possible criminal contempt charges if the administration did not provide additional declarations by April 23.

The Trump administration filed its appeal with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals shortly following Boasberg’s pronouncement. The administration’s legal team did not present new evidence in the brief appeal, as the case’s details had been thoroughly examined by both the district and appellate courts. Previously, the appellate court maintained Boasberg’s temporary restraining order with a 2-1 decision. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that deportation flights under the Alien Enemies Act, blocked by Boasberg, could proceed, contingent on the provision of due process and opportunities for individuals to seek habeas relief.

Judge Boasberg expressed the court’s view that the government’s actions on the day he ordered flights turned around amounted to “willful disregard” for his emergency order. The Trump administration contends that Boasberg’s order unlawfully hindered the Executive’s ability to remove individuals considered threats.

Attempts to bring criminal contempt proceedings against administration officials could hit a roadblock if President Trump uses his pardon powers to dismiss them, setting up a constitutional impasse between the executive and the judiciary.

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April 17, 2025
Immigration
News

Dem Senator Accused of Logan Act Violation After Attempt to Free Deportee in El Salvador.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador to support the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a deported illegal alien held in an El Salvadoran prison. The trip has led to accusations of Van Hollen violating the Logan Act.

👥 Who’s Involved: Democrat Senator Chris Van Hollen, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, White House communications director Steven Cheung, Roger Stone, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

📍 Where & When: El Salvador, April 15.

💬 Key Quote: Roger Stone argued on X, “Pursuing your own individual foreign policy is a violation of the Logan Act. The FBI should arrest this senator the instant he returns to the country.”

⚠️ Impact: The trip stirred significant political debate in the U.S., with accusations of foreign policy interference and renewed scrutiny of the Logan Act, its historical application, and its modern-day relevance.

IN FULL:

Senator Chris Van Hollen’s recent trip to El Salvador has sparked controversy in Washington, as the Maryland Democrat lobbied for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an MS-13-linked illegal alien and national of El Salvador. Van Hollen’s efforts have resulted in accusations of violating the Logan Act, a U.S. law from 1799 aimed at preventing unauthorized foreign negotiations.

Garcia previously resided in Maryland with his family. Prior to his deportation, courts ruled the authorities had provided “sufficient” evidence he was linked to MS-13. Democrats have attempted to claim Garcia is an innocent Maryland father of three, while neglecting his illegal alien status and dubious past, which includes domestic violence allegations.

Republican figures, including White House communications director Steven Cheung and border czar Tom Homan, criticized Van Hollen’s actions. Cheung questioned the senator’s intentions, while Homan described the trip as inappropriate.

Political consultant Roger Stone suggested that Van Hollen’s actions warranted prosecution under the Logan Act. This law, established under President John Adams, seeks to maintain U.S. government cohesion in foreign affairs by prohibiting unauthorized negotiations. Historically, the Logan Act has seen minimal enforcement, with only two prosecutions in over 200 years, neither resulting in a conviction.

While in El Salvador, Senator Van Hollen was unable to meet with Abrego Garcia, with the Salvadoran government declining to arrange a visit or even a phone call.

Image: AFGE.

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April 17, 2025
Crime
Immigration

Documents Reveal 2021 Protective Order Filed by Wife Against MS-13 Gang Member Deported to El Salvador.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Kilmar Abrego Garcia—the 29-year-old illegal immigrant and adjudicated MS-13 gang member deported to El Salvador by the Trump administration—was the subject of a 2021 protective order filed in Maryland by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez, due to multiple alleged incidents of domestic violence. A federal judge is attempting to force the White House to retrieve Garcia from El Salvador’s CECOT prison, as are Democratic Party lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

👥 Who’s Involved: Kilmar Abrego Garcia, his wife, Jennifer Vasquez, the Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), the government of El Salvador, and U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis.

📍 Where & When: Kilmar Abrego Garcia was detained in Maryland, with his deportation occurring on March 15. The protective order was filed in May 2021 in Prince George’s County District Court.

💬 Key Quote: “At this point, I am afraid to be close to him. I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he [has] left me,” Jennifer Vasquez alleged in the 2021 protective order filing, adding: “In November 2020, he hit me with his work boot. In August 2020, he hit me in the eye leaving a purple eye.”

⚠️ Impact: This case has prompted significant legal challenges against Garcia’s deportation, with a federal judge ordering the Trump administration to facilitate the El Salvadoran illegal immigrant’s return to the United States. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, traveled to El Salvador earlier this week in an attempt to retrieve the MS-13 gang member from the country’s CECOT prison facility.

IN FULL:

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant and member of the violent MS-13 criminal gang, was the subject of a 2021 protective order filed in Maryland by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez, alleging that he beat her on several occasions. In March, the Trump administration deported Abrego Garcia, 29, alongside other illegal immigrants, invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. The deportation orders were predicated on transnational gang links, a charge denied by Abrego Garcia’s family and legal counsel.

While Congressional Democrats and the corporate media have attempted to portray Abrego Garcia as a loving father and “Maryland man,” court documents reveal the illegal immigrant has a history of domestic abuse accusations, allegedly beating his wife on several occasions. The revelations came as Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) traveled to El Salvador seeking the illegal immigrant’s return.

“At this point, I am afraid to be close to him. I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he [has] left me,” Jennifer Vasquez alleged in the 2021 protective order filing, adding: “In November 2020, he hit me with his work boot. In August 2020, he hit me in the eye leaving a purple eye.”

Despite the past accusations of domestic abuse, Vasquez now says she stands by her husband. “We were able to work through this situation privately as a family, including by going to counseling,” she wrote in a statement issued in response to news of the protective order. “Our marriage only grew stronger in the years that followed. No one is perfect, and no marriage is perfect,” she claimed, adding: “That is not a justification for ICE’s action of abducting him and deporting him to a country where he was supposed to be protected from deportation.”

In early April, U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis ordered the Trump administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return to the United States, an action that El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele says he will not allow. “How can I return him to the United States? Like, if I smuggle him into the United States, or what do I do? Of course, I’m not going to do it,” Bukele said earlier this week.

While opponents of President Donald J. Trump’s mass deportation of violent, criminal illegal immigrants from the United States have tried to claim that Abrego Garcia is not an actual member of MS-13, state and federal law enforcement agencies confirmed his affiliation in 2019. Both the Prince George’s County Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) documented evidence of Abrego Garcia’s membership in MS-13, noting that the clothing he wore when detained during a 2019 murder investigation was associated with the gang.

Additionally, a confidential informant tied to MS-13 identified the El Salvadoran national as an active member of the gang’s “Westerns” group, holding the rank of “Chequeo,” and using the name “Chele.” Two federal immigration judges accepted the state and federal law enforcement findings, ruling that there was “sufficient” evidence.

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April 17, 2025
Immigration
News

Trump’s Immigration Policies Are Normalizing Life on the Border for Residents.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, which had been closed and fortified with concertina wire and armed guards for over a year, has reopened.

👥 Who’s Involved: Local residents like Dora Flores, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, former President Joe Biden, and Mayor Rolando Salinas Jr.

📍 Where & When: Eagle Pass, Texas, reopened in recent days after closures and heightened security started in January 2024.

💬 Key Quote: Mayor Rolando Salinas Jr. stated, “We’re happy the park has returned to the city.”

⚠️ Impact: The reopening represents a shift in the politics surrounding immigration enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border and a decrease in the perceived urgency of security measures.

IN FULL:

Residents of Eagle Pass, Texas, experienced a return to normalcy as the once-closed Shelby Park reopened, shedding the concertina wire and armed presence that kept it inaccessible for more than a year. The move comes after President Donald J. Trump’s border policies have significantly reduced illegal crossings in the area.

The reopening followed Texas Governor Greg Abbott‘s withdrawal of significant security measures, citing a decrease in migrant crossings at the border. In January 2024, Abbott had deployed forces to the area as a demonstration against former President Joe Biden’s immigration policies. However, with crossings reaching a record low, the focus has shifted, and the enhanced security presence has been significantly reduced.

Local residents like Dora Flores, 73, approached the park on a warm Monday morning, noting the changes. “Is the park really open?” she asked, expressing relief that the area no longer resembled a high-security facility. The park, equipped with sports fields and a boat ramp into the Rio Grande, is once again available for public use. Mayor Rolando Salinas Jr. commented on the developments, stating, “We’re happy the park has returned to the city.”

President Trump’s strict border policies have massively reduced the number of illegal crossings. These include sending U.S. military personnel to aid in border security. The chief of San Diego’s Border Patrol said having troops on the border was a “force multiplier” last month.

March saw a record-low number of illegal border crossings, a massive 97 percent decline compared to March 2022. President Trump’s mass deportation initiative under Border Czar Tom Homan has also been credited for dissuading illegal crossing attempts.

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April 17, 2025
Immigration

Trump Blocks Social Security Benefits for Illegal Aliens.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: President Donald Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum to prevent illegal aliens and ineligible individuals from receiving benefits under the Social Security Act.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Trump Administration, Social Security Administration (SSA), 50 U.S. Attorney Offices, and Medicare and Medicaid fraud-prosecution programs.

📍 Where & When: The Memorandum was signed today in the United States.

💬 Key Quote: “Taxpayer-funded benefits should be provided only to eligible persons and must not encourage or reward illegal immigration to the United States.” – President Trump.

⚠️ Impact: The Memorandum seeks to protect taxpayer funds, expand SSA fraud investigations, reduce incentives for illegal immigration, and stop payments to ineligible individuals.

IN FULL:

President Donald J. Trump has enacted a Presidential Memorandum to prevent illegal aliens and those deemed ineligible from accessing benefits provided through the Social Security Act. The directive involves a series of enforcement measures intended to safeguard taxpayer dollars, remove incentives for illegal immigration, and address instances of benefit fraud.

Key components of this initiative include the Social Security Administration (SAA) collaborating with at least 50 U.S. Attorney Offices to strengthen its fraud prosecutor program. Moreover, it establishes dedicated fraud prosecution initiatives for Medicare and Medicaid across 15 U.S. Attorney Offices. These steps aim to ensure benefits do not reach individuals who do not qualify.

To further combat identity fraud, the SSA Inspector General has been tasked with examining income records for people aged 100 and over with inconsistencies in their Social Security information. Additionally, the agency is exploring whether to reinstate civil monetary penalties for those committing Social Security fraud, a measure that has been dormant for several years.

According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), American taxpayers incur expenses surpassing $182 billion yearly due to the presence of approximately 20 million illegal aliens and their offspring, based on both federal and state expenditures. Despite some illegal aliens contributing taxes, reports suggest they remain a net fiscal burden, estimated at roughly $150.7 billion.

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April 16, 2025
Immigration
Lawfare

Obama Judge Threatens Contempt in Deportation Dispute.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Far-left U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg says he has found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in contempt for not returning deportation planes to the U.S. as ordered.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Trump administration, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, and the Justice Department (DOJ).

📍 Where & When: Deportations to El Salvador in March; the court order was announced on Wednesday, April 16.

💬 Key Quote: “The Court ultimately determines that the Government’s actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its Order,” stated Judge Boasberg.

⚠️ Impact: The administration is instructed to file declarations or face potential prosecution. However, President Donald J. Trump holds the power to pardon people in federal contempt cases.

IN FULL:

Far-left U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg says he has found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in contempt over its alleged failure to comply with his court order requiring planes carrying illegal immigrants to El Salvador to turn around and return to the United States. The federal judge accuses the Trump White House of acting with “willful disregard” toward his March 15 order, which temporarily halted all deportation flights under the Alien Enemies Act.

Despite Boasberg’s contention, the Trump administration argues the judge’s order came too late to turn around two planes carrying 261 illegal immigrants—including over 100 Venezuelan gang members—to El Salvador, where they are being housed in the country’s high-security CECOT prison facility. In a 48-page determination, the judge lays out his dubious criticism of the government for its actions and outlines steps for the administration to avoid prosecution.

Boasberg demands the Department of Justice (DOJ) submit additional declarations by April 23 to explain the circumstances surrounding non-compliance or face potential prosecution. “The Court ultimately determines that the Government’s actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its Order, sufficient for the Court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the Government in criminal contempt,” the judge writes. Boasberg continued, explaining that if the DOJ does not explain why the court should not proceed with contempt charges, he will ask federal prosecutors to identify administration officials responsible for what he calls “contumacious conduct.”

“The Court does not reach such conclusion lightly or hastily; indeed, it has given Defendants ample opportunity to rectify or explain their actions,” the Barack Obama-appointed judge concluded while declaring that the government’s responses so far have been unsatisfactory to the court.

In response, the White House swiftly announced plans to seek appellate relief. “We plan to seek immediate appellate relief,” Steven Cheung, White House Communications Director, announced in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He added: “The President is 100% committed to ensuring that terrorists and criminal illegal migrants are no longer a threat to Americans and their communities across the country.”

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April 16, 2025
Immigration
News

Memo Reveals U.S. Plans to Send Migrants Linked to Organized Crime to Guantanamo.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: A government memo reveals that the Trump administration has developed broad guidelines for detaining migrants at Guantanamo Bay, permitting officials to send migrants associated with organized crime to the base.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense (DoD), and migrants.

📍 Where & When: Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The memo was signed on March 7.

💬 Key Quote: Theresa Cardinal Brown noted that the memo’s rules “apply very broadly to any immigrant who came to the U.S. via the U.S.-Mexico border.”

⚠️ Impact: The memo allows for wide-reaching discretion in selecting migrants for detention at Guantanamo, challenging previous assertions that only high-threat criminals would be held there.

IN FULL:

A new memo shows the Trump administration’s wide-reaching authority to detain migrants at Guantanamo Bay, expanding beyond only “the worst” offenders. This development is part of Trump’s broader policy to crack down on illegal immigration.

The agreement, signed in early March by top officials from the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Defense (DoD), sets criteria for detaining migrants based not on criminal history but rather a “nexus” to transnational criminal organizations or criminal drug activity. Officials have defined this connection broadly, which could include paying a criminal group for smuggling services into the United States.

The guidelines allow for detaining migrants with final deportation orders who have interacted in any way with organized crime, including direct or indirect interactions. The Department of Defense confirmed the memo. The DoD has highlighted its role in clarifying operational roles at Guantanamo Bay between DHS and DoD.

Theresa Cardinal Brown, a former U.S. immigration official, stated that many illegals could have some form of interaction with a crime syndicate. This is due to the territorial control established by cartels in Mexico.

Trump administration officials defend the strategy as vital to national security. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said operations at Guantanamo for detaining migrants will proceed without changes. Currently, 42 individuals are detained at the base.

Image by Paul Keller.

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April 15, 2025
Immigration
NatSec

Democrats Rushing to El Salvador to Help MS-13 Gangster Back into America.

PULSE POINTS:

❓ What Happened: A group of Democratic lawmakers wants to travel to El Salvador to lobby for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an MS-13 gang member deported by the Justice Department.

👥 Who’s Involved: The key figures are Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representatives Maxwell Frost and Yassamin Ansari.

📍 Where & When: The stunt follows a White House visit involving President Donald J. Trump and President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, where the press raised Garcia’s case.

💬 Key Quote: “Of course I’m not going to do it,” said President Bukele regarding returning Garcia, an El Salvadoran citizen, to the U.S.

⚠️ Impact: The situation highlights tensions between leftist legislators and judges and the U.S. and Salvadoran governments.

IN FULL:

Leading Democratic lawmakers, spearheaded by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), are prepared to visit El Salvador to advocate for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an MS-13 gang member deported to the Central American country’s CECOT super-prison by the Trump administration. During a White House visit, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele declared that he would not send Garcia back to the U.S.

Van Hollen has formally contacted El Salvador’s ambassador in Washington, requesting a dialogue with President Bukele. The Maryland Democrat announced his intention to monitor Garcia’s condition and negotiate for his release in El Salvador if he is not returned to the U.S. by midweek. Democratic colleagues, including Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) and Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), have expressed readiness to join the potential delegation.

The push to bring Garcia back stems from the Trump administration deporting him contrary to a 2019 immigration judge’s order prohibiting his return to El Salvador, due to rival gang members presenting a threat to him.

Contradicting media reports presenting Garcia as an “innocent” father, the courts also adjudicated that he was an illegal alien who had failed to demonstrate he was not a danger to Americans at an immigration bond hearing. Additionally, the relevant ruling states that “sufficient” was presented proving Garcia was a gang member, which he had failed to rebut.

The Trump White House’s deputy chief of staff for policy, Stephen Miller, contends that Garcia’s deportation was in accordance with federal law. “Nobody was mistakenly deported anywhere. That’s a big fact that all of you, most of you, have gotten wrong,” Miller told the press outside the White House on Monday. He added: “The only mistake that was made is a lawyer put an incorrect line in a legal filing that’s since been relieved… [Garcia] is El Salvadoran. He is an illegal alien. He was deported to El Salvador.”

While the courts have asked the Trump administration to facilitate Garcia’s return, the fact he is an El Salvadoran citizen in the custody of El Salvador puts him beyond U.S. jurisdiction. During Bukele’s visit, the Salvadoran leader dismissed calls to return Garcia to the U.S., describing such expectations as “preposterous.” He questioned how he could “smuggle” Garcia into America without violating the law, given his status as a “terrorist.”

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