During a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele asserted his decision not to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States, despite a Supreme Court directive indicating that the Trump administration should facilitate his repatriation.
“How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States?” Bukele added. “I lack the authority to send him back.”
He further emphasized his position, stating, “We’re not in favor of releasing terrorists into our nation. We’ve worked diligently to transform the murder capital of the world into the safest country in the Western Hemisphere, and now you want us to revert to releasing criminals and risk becoming that murder capital again? That is simply out of the question.”
Following a disparaging remark aimed at a CNN reporter who inquired about Abrego Garcia, Trump redirected the inquiry to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Bondi noted that Abrego Garcia, who has never faced charges in the U.S., has been adjudged by a judge to be an illegal immigrant affiliated with the MS-13 gang.
However, the federal judge currently overseeing the dispute regarding Abrego Garcia’s removal has stated that there is no evidence to support the claim that he is a gang member.
“It is El Salvador’s decision whether to bring him back. This isn’t a matter for us to dictate,” Bondi explained.
She clarified that the Supreme Court’s ruling regarding Abrego Garcia merely obligates the Trump administration to “facilitate” his repatriation, which she interpreted as providing necessary transportation if El Salvador opts to accept him.
Trump then requested input from Stephen Miller, a senior advisor at the White House.
“He is a citizen of El Salvador,” Miller stated. “It reflects a level of arrogance for American media to suggest that we should dictate to El Salvador how to manage its citizens.”
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