Q24N — El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele said on Monday he would not return a man mistakenly deported from the United States as he met with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump welcomed Bukele to the Oval Office, as the pair faced questions from reporters on the case of a father who was deported to the Salvadoran mega-prison following what has been called an administrative error.
The U.S. Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, after he was sent to an anti-terrorism prison in El Salvador, as part of a Trump administration crackdown on suspected gang members.
– Advertisement –
However, Bukele said returning Abrego Garcia would not be possible, telling reporters: “Of course, I’m not going to do it. The question is preposterous…. I don’t have the power to return him to the United States.”
What did Bukele and Trump discuss?
Trump appeared pleased with his partnership with Bukele, even calling on him to build more prisons to house people deported from the U.S. The two have already sealed a deal according to which the U.S. can send prisoners to El Salvador for a fee of US$6 million dollars.
The U.S. president said he was considering deporting some U.S. citizens to El Salvador, citing “criminals who push people into subways, that hit old ladies on the back of the head with a baseball bat.”
Trump and Bukele share a fondness for strongman leadership, with both having referred to themselves as “dictators,” even if they may claim this to be tongue-in-cheek.
Read more: Bukele calls himself ‘The coolest dictator in the worldwide world ’ in his Twitter biography
– Advertisement –
Bukele has been accused of human rights violations in his massive crackdown on drug gangs
Despite their closeness, El Salvador was included in Trump’s 10% tariff list earlier in the month. Most of the Central American country’s exports go to the US.
White House clashes with courts over deportation
Trump referred questions about Abrego Garcia to his Attorney General Pam Bondi, alleging that an immigration court and appellate court had ruled he was a member of the MS-13 gang.
– Advertisement –
Abrego Garcia’s lawyers have denied the allegation that he is a gang member, saying the US has presented no credible evidence substantiating its claim.
– Advertisement –
Source link
Rico
