President Trump says he "can" call the President of El Salvador to ensure Kilmar Abrego Garciawas evacuated from the United States last month and sent to El Salvador prison, which government officials called "administrative error."
Mr. Trump's remarks - made in an interview with ABC News aired Tuesday, when his administration struggled to compete with a court order directing the order to "promote" the return of Abrego Garcia, who was removed from office, despite a 2019 ruling that prevented him from being sent to El Salvador. Government believes that El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele decides whether to send Abrego Garcia back, despite Bukele Say he doesn't "There is strength" to return him.
"You can bring him back. There's a phone on this table," said Terry Moran of ABC News.
"I can," Mr. Trump replied.
When Moran suggested that Mr. Trump could call Bukele to push Abrego Garcia's return, Mr. Trump said: "If he (Abrego Garcia) was the gentleman you said he was, I would do that, but he wasn't."
The president added that he was “not the one who made the decision” and said his attorneys did not want him to call and believed he was following the law.
Mr. Trump called Abrego Garcia "a member of the MS-13 gang, a tough cookie" and said he "beats his wife's hell."
Government regularly accuses Abrego Garcia of membership MS-13 Ganghis legal team strongly denied this, noting that he was never charged with a crime.
Abrego Garcia's wife accused him of domestic violence and Obtained a temporary protection order In 2021, although she told reporters since then, the situation has not escalated and she decided not to move forward.
The president made similar comments in an interview with Time magazine last week. When asked if he was called to Buckley for Abreg Garcia's release, Mr. Trump said: "I didn't actively ask him, but he said he wouldn't." Mr. Trump also said his lawyer did not tell him to call.
Abrego Garcia, an El Salvador national, entered the United States illegally at the age of 16 in 2011, was arrested in Maryland last month and flew to El Salvador with hundreds of Trump administration accused gang members. A few years ago, a judge awarded Abrego Garcia a “detention and evacuation” status, saying he should not be sent to El Salvador, citing fears of gang persecution. The government called his removal "administrative error" in court documents.
Supreme Court Say earlier this month The government must "promote" Abrego Garcia's release, partially upholding the ruling of U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis. The judge pushed the government to provide more information about its efforts to ensure its return and accused the government of not complying with her orders.
In the wider strategy of the Trump administration, alleged gang members were sent to El Salvador's infamous Terorrism Center prison, which was removed until it was transferred a few weeks ago.
The Trump administration is already in The Alien Enemy Law of 1798a rarely used law that allows deportation during the invasion. The strategy has faced a counterattack from courts and advocates due to concerns over the lack of due process. Supreme Court Rules Immigrants Dismissed in Face Foreign Enemy Act A chance to conduct a judicial review.
When ABC News asked if immigrants facing deportation should have due process, Mr. Trump said: "We follow legal procedures," but thought it would be impractical to conduct a full trial of everyone.
"If people enter our country illegally, that would be a different standard," Trump said.
"They got the process we had to get them out," Trump added. "They got everything my lawyer said."