"Border czar" Tom Homan says Abrego Garcia's deportation was not a mistake

"Border Czar" Tom Homan talks astir Kilmar Abrego Garcia deportation lawsuit

"Border Czar" Tom Homan talks astir Kilmar Abrego Garcia deportation case 01:03

Kilmar Abrego Garcia's deportation to El Salvador past period was not a mistake, President Trump's "border czar" Tom Homan said during Monday's White House property briefing.

The Trump medication claimed successful tribunal papers past period Abregp Garcia, who was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents successful Maryland, was deported to a Salvadoran situation successful March due to the fact that of an "administrative error." In 2019, Abrego Garcia — who entered the U.S. illegally — was granted "withholding of removal," which forbids migration authorities from removing him to his location state of El Salvador, citing the hazard of persecution by gangs.

"I don't judge the word 'error' successful Abrego Garcia," Homan said. "There was an oversight, determination was a withholding order. But the facts surrounding the withholding bid had changed. He is present a terrorist, and the pack helium was fearing, from being removed from El Salvador, nary longer exists."

Homan's assertion that Abrego Garcia is simply a "terrorist" apt stems from the administration's decision to designate definite gangs — including Salvadoran pack MS-13 — arsenic violent organizations. The Trump medication has accused Abrego Garcia of belonging to MS-13, but his attorneys person powerfully denied that helium was a pack subordinate and noted that helium does not person a transgression grounds successful the U.S. oregon immoderate different country.

Prior to receiving his extortion order, Abrego Garcia was arrested arsenic helium was soliciting enactment extracurricular of a Home Depot, his lawyer said. He was taken into custody, on with 3 men who authorities accidental were recognized arsenic being affiliated with gangs. Abrego Garcia was wearing a Chicago Bulls chapeau and a hoodie with graphics that were "indicative of the Hispanic pack culture," and constabulary said a source told them Abrego Garcia was an progressive subordinate of MS-13. His ineligible squad denies immoderate MS-13 links.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said during his sojourn to the White House earlier this period that helium has nary volition of sending Abrego Garcia backmost to the United States, which prompted a sojourn to El Salvador by Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen.

On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the Salvadoran president's assertions.

"I volition archer you what the president of El Salvador told you successful the Oval Office: El Salvador does not mean to smuggle a designated overseas violent backmost into the United States," Leavitt said. "He is an El Salvadoran national. That is his location country. That is wherever helium belongs."

Earlier this month, Abrego Garcia was moved from El Salvador's maximum-security Terrorism Confinement Center to a lower-security facility.

Judge orders deadline for Trump administration's response

Last week, a national justice temporarily paused her bid that required the Trump medication to supply updates connected its efforts to facilitate the instrumentality of Abrego Garcia. 

The Department of Justice asked Maryland-based U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis to enactment her directive to supply grounds and documents connected Abrego Garcia for 7 days, and Abrego Garcia's lawyers filed a sealed response. Xinis granted a stay of the find process until April 30 astatine 5 p.m. with "the statement of the parties."

Xinis antecedently said the Trump medication had shown a "willful and atrocious religion refusal to comply with find obligations."