WASHINGTON, D.C. – Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele met with President Donald Trump on Monday morning in an especially congenial meeting, telling reporters he wouldn’t return deported Salvadoran national Abrego Garcia to the U.S.
“You’re not suggesting that I smuggle a terrorist into the United States, right?” Bukele said. “I don’t have the power to return him to the United States.”
Trump has faced ongoing scrutiny for deporting Garcia in a group of purported gang members to El Salvador in March after the administration admitted it mistakenly deported him due to a “clerical error.” Garcia came to the U.S. illegally in 2011 as a teenager but was granted asylum by an immigration judge in 2019. He lived in Maryland from his arrival to his deportation. Despite the administration’s admission of its mistake, it has maintained it will not bring Garcia back to the U.S. pointing to courts having previously ruled that he was a member of the notorious MS-13 gang.
Critics accuse the administration of ignoring federal judges’ orders – first, the granting of asylum, but subsequently, an April order from a district court judge to “facilitate and effectuate” Garcia’s return and the Supreme Court’s partial upholding of that order.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday that the administration was complying with the Supreme Court’s decision.
“The Supreme Court made their ruling last night very clear that it’s the administration’s responsibility to facilitate the return, not to effectuate the return,” Leavitt said.
Ahead of the presidents’ meeting on Monday morning, the White House touted its deportation of violent illegal aliens and credited Bukele for helping the U.S. in its efforts.
“Thanks to the two leaders, scores of violent illegal immigrant killers, rapists, gang members, and other sick criminals have been swiftly taken off our streets,” the White house said in a statement.
Trump and Bukele exchanged compliments in their meeting, with Trump calling Bukele “one hell of a president.”
“It’s a great job you’re doing and I appreciate it,” Trump said.
Bukele expressed a desire to continue helping the U.S. help where El Salvador could. Bukele also referenced how El Salvador has become safer under his watch.
In 2015 and 2016, El Salvador ranked as “the murder capital of the world.” Bukele entered office in 2019. It now ranks as one of the safest countries in the Western Hemisphere according to a Global Security Report by the Gallup consulting firm.
This article was written By Morgan Sweeney and originally published by The Center Square. It is republished here with permission.
