On Saturday, President Trump stated that the case involving Kilmer Abrego Garcia, who was accidentally deported to El Salvador earlier this year as part of his administration’s immigration enforcement, should be “very easy” for the Department of Justice to handle.
This remark came after it was announced that Abrego Garcia would return to the U.S. on Friday to face charges related to smuggling linked to a traffic stop in Tennessee from 2022. When questioned about the administration’s decision to bring him back, Trump supported the DOJ’s actions, saying, “That’s fine,” but clarified that the choice was not his.
He mentioned, “It should be a very simple case.”
Abrego Garcia is facing unsealed conspiracy charges involving the illegal transport of undocumented immigrants. Prosecutors have indicated in court filings that he has made over 100 trips from Texas to various parts of the U.S. for this purpose, all for monetary gain.
Attorney General Pam Bondy confirmed the warrant issued in El Salvador, assuring reporters that the necessary steps had been taken to return him. “The judge has discovered over the past nine years that Abrego Garcia has played a significant role in alien smuggling,” she stated, emphasizing his full-time involvement in the operation.
She also noted that once the trial concludes, Abrego Garcia would be deported back to El Salvador.
His return follows months of legal and administrative challenges to facilitate it, including involvement from the Supreme Court. Both Trump and Salvadoran President Naibe Bukele had dismissed previous orders concerning Abrego Garcia, tying him to activities related to the MS-13 gang.
When asked if he had spoken with Bukele recently, Trump replied that he had not, although they had met at the White House earlier this year.
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) expressed his concerns during a meeting with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, describing his return as a positive outcome for due process despite the serious charges against him. “This is a due process victory. It’s a constitutional victory,” he said in an MSNBC interview on Friday, suggesting the Trump administration had delayed the process considerably.
Trump responded to Van Hollen’s comments by labeling him a “loser,” asserting, “He’s trying to defend a man who has a horrible record of abuse, especially against women.” He made it clear that he held a strong negative opinion of the Senator.
