‘Not Gonna Happen’: El Salvador President Defies U.S. Over Gang Member Return

Clear Facts

• El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has refused to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, an alleged MS-13 gang member, to the United States.
• President Bukele stated he does not have the power to “smuggle” Garcia back into the U.S. and criticized the suggestion as preposterous.
• The U.S. Supreme Court has directed lower courts to clarify the order regarding Garcia’s return, emphasizing the deference owed to the Executive Branch in foreign affairs.

In a recent meeting with President Donald Trump, El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele made it clear that he will not facilitate the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the United States. Garcia, an illegal immigrant with alleged ties to the notorious MS-13 gang, was deported to El Salvador in 2019.

President Bukele expressed his stance unequivocally, stating, “I suppose you’re suggesting that I smuggle a terrorist into the United States. How can I smuggle, how can I return him to the United States, like I smuggle him into the United States? Of course, I’m not going to do it.”

He further criticized the notion of releasing criminals back into society, highlighting the progress El Salvador has made in reducing crime rates. “You just turned the murder capital of the world to the safest country of the western hemisphere and you want us to go back into releasing criminals so we can go back to being the murder capital of the world? That’s not gonna happen,” Bukele asserted.

Garcia’s case has been a point of contention between the U.S. and El Salvador. After entering the U.S. unlawfully in 2011, Garcia was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in March 2019 and subsequently deported. The Trump administration has argued that Garcia should remain in El Salvador due to his alleged gang affiliations.

A U.S. District Judge initially ruled that Garcia should be returned to the U.S. However, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts intervened, halting the order and emphasizing that the U.S. cannot “compel El Salvador to follow a federal judge’s bidding.”

The Supreme Court has since directed the lower court to clarify its order, stressing the importance of respecting the Executive Branch’s role in foreign affairs. “The District Court should clarify its directive, with due regard for the deference owed to the Executive Branch in the conduct of foreign affairs,” the order stated.

A White House official commented on the situation, explaining that if El Salvador were to voluntarily send Garcia back, he would be placed under ICE custody and deported to another country. The official also questioned the validity of the 2019 immigration judge’s order, given Garcia’s alleged ties to a foreign terrorist organization.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Source