WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – The White House is not budging on the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The U.S. Supreme Court issued an order several days ago directing the Trump administration to take “steps to facilitate” the return of Garcia. He who remains incarcerated in a prison in El Salvador.
Less than a week a week ago, the Supreme Court directed the administration to ‘facilitate’ Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador. But there’s no indication that the Maryland man’s return to the U.S. will happen anytime soon.
At a White House Press briefing Tuesday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made it clear the Trump Administration will not assist in efforts to repatriate Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The Justice Department acknowledges Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador S without proper due process.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt continues to insist without evidence Garcia has violated the law beyond immigrating to the United States illegally.
“And so deporting him back to El Salvador was always going to be the end result. There is never going to be a world in which this is an individual who is going to live a peaceful life in Maryland.”
Leavitt was asked to provide clarification on the President’s suggestion that he was exploring whether U.S. citizens who have been convicted of violent crimes – could also be deported to El Salvador.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt left the door open to the deportation of American citizens.
“He would only consider this if legal for Americans who are the most violent, egregious repeat offenders of crime, who nobody in this room wants living in their communities.”
There is no federal law that allows the president to unilaterally remove a U.S. citizen to another country. In fact, the Supreme Court has held that the president has no power to extradite or banish a U.S. citizen to another country – except when authorized by a treaty or an act of Congress.
Following a Tuesday afternoon hearing in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis is now insisting the U.S. Justice Department file detailed updates on Garcia’s status and the government’s efforts to comply with his return to the U.S.
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