The President of El Salvador has publicly shared images of Kilmar Armando Ábrego García, a U.S. resident who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador and held in a maximum-security facility known as the Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT). This facility, often described as among the harshest in the world, has received hundreds of individuals deported under recent U.S. immigration policies.
Ábrego García, originally from Maryland, was reportedly deported in error as part of a larger wave of removals initiated during the second term of President Donald Trump. Though the U.S. administration later acknowledged the deportation was due to an administrative mistake, the process of securing Ábrego García’s return has remained complex. Despite a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court requiring assistance with his repatriation, he has yet to be formally released from Salvadoran custody.
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, who traveled to El Salvador to assess the situation firsthand, initially reported difficulties gaining access to Ábrego García. He later confirmed that he was eventually permitted to meet with him at a hotel in San Salvador. Senator Van Hollen shared a photograph of their meeting, expressing that his primary goal for the visit had been to connect with Ábrego García and to communicate his well-being to his family in the United States.
In contrast, President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador published additional images of the meeting with a notably different tone. These pictures portrayed a more relaxed environment and appeared to include decorative drinks, which sources have since clarified were props staged for the photograph.
President Bukele added a remark implying that, now that Ábrego García’s health had been confirmed, he would continue to be held in El Salvador’s custody.
Reactions in the United States have been politically charged. A White House spokesperson criticized Senator Van Hollen’s involvement, suggesting it misrepresented national priorities. However, Senator Van Hollen reaffirmed that U.S. courts had found no evidence linking Ábrego García to any criminal organizations, such as MS-13, and maintained that the case required careful and fair treatment.
Reports have also surfaced suggesting that the government of El Salvador is being compensated by the United States to detain certain individuals, with figures indicating a potential $6 million agreement.
When asked about the Supreme Court’s directive to facilitate Ábrego García’s return, President Trump declined to comment directly, stating that the matter should be addressed by legal authorities.
Main Source: Reporting based on information from The New York Times.
