Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) mentioned on Sunday that he doesn’t believe President Trump disregarded the court’s orders in a case involving Kilmer Abrego Garcia, but he stated he would “reach out” to him if that were the case.
“Yes,” Kennedy responded when asked during NBC News’ “Meet the Press” if he felt Trump was complying with court directives.
“And I believe President Trump is not opposed to the rulings of a federal judge,” he added. “If he is, I’ll let him know.”
“I value the rule of law immensely. I hold it dear, just as the devil cherishes sin. If I fail to follow federal judicial orders, I believe it severely undermines our system,” the senator remarked.
Kennedy emphasized that this doesn’t imply individuals can’t express dissatisfaction with the court’s ruling. “You are allowed to critique them. You can file appeals, but you cannot refuse to abide by their decisions, and I have yet to witness President Trump doing that.”
The Supreme Court supported the basis of the district court’s decision and instructed the Trump administration to “facilitate” the return of Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who resided in Maryland before being placed in an El Salvador prison last month. An immigration judge had issued a directive in 2019 preventing his deportation to El Salvador due to concerns about violence there.
The Trump administration had earlier described Abrego Garcia’s deportation as stemming from “administrative error.”
Recently, the appeals court denied the Trump administration’s appeal to postpone adherence to the district court’s order mandating all possible actions be taken to support Abrego Garcia’s return.
“The government claims the authority to hide residents of the nation in foreign jails without the legitimate processes that underpin our constitutional framework,” U.S. Circuit Judge Harvey Wilkinson stated for the unanimous three-judge panel.
Wilkinson, who was appointed by former President Reagan, criticized the Trump administration’s argument that “nothing needs to be done,” adding, “this should be alarming not only to judges but also to anyone with an intrinsic sense of freedom that is far removed from tyranny.”
Kennedy challenged Wilkinson’s perspective.
“What does he expect Trump to do? Should he declare war? [Salvadoran President Nayib] Bukele? In other words, he brought Bukele to America. President Bukele sat in the Oval Office and stated, ‘I will not return this man.’ So, I’m uncertain what Judge Wilkinson plans to do,” Kennedy remarked during the interview with “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker.
When Welker pointed out that Trump “might have just been able to ask.” [Abrego Garcia], Kennedy countered, “How do you know he hasn’t?”
Welker mentioned he was posing questions based on the president’s public statement that he has no plans to request Bukele to return Abrego Garcia.
