The Trump administration has reportedly admitted to sending a Salvadoran man with protected legal status to the infamous mega-prison in El Salvador by mistake.
Abrego Garcia was removed from Maryland when the administration sent three planeloads of Salvadoran and Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s “Terrorism Confinement Center” on March 15 for alleged gang affiliations.
Court filings from the Trump administration regarding Garcia showed that ICE admitted the Maryland father was deported to an El Salvador mega-prison by “administrative error.” Garcia reportedly has both “protected status” in the U.S. and is married to a U.S. citizen, according to The Atlantic.
Vice President JD Vance responded to comments asking him about the Trump administration admitting to sending a Salvadoran man with protected legal status to the mega-prison in El Salvador by mistake. (RELATED: Rubio Confirms 17 More ‘Foreign Gang Terrorists’ Deported To El Salvador)
“It’s gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimize,” Vance wrote on X in response to a question about the error from “Pod Save America” host Jon Favreau.
While responding to Favreau, who served as an aide to former President Barack Obama, Vance said “you apparently didn’t read he was a convicted MS-13 gang member with no legal right to be here” – referencing the court filing.
“My further comment is that it’s gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimize,” the vice president added.
Fox News reports:
Attorneys for several removed Venezuelan migrants have emphasized that the administration has falsely labeled several of the removed migrants as gang members based on their tattoos, though administration officials have repeatedly stated those sent to the prison are the “worst of the worst.”
Certain tattoos flagged as gang-affiliated, which could lead to a migrant’s removal, include art of things like a crown or NBA legend Michael Jordan’s famous “Jumpman” logo rather than only symbols of a notable gang in El Salvador or Venezuela.
However, even some supporters of the president, including podcaster Joe Rogan, have expressed concerns about the possibility of mistaken deportations.
You got to get scared that people who are not criminals are getting, like, lassoed up and deported and sent to, like… El Salvador prisons, like that kind of shit. This is kind of crazy that that could be possible. That’s horrific and that’s, again, that’s bad for the cause.
“This is the thing, you know, measure it twice, cut once,” Rogan continued. “This is kind of crazy that that could be possible. That’s horrific. And that’s, again, that’s bad for the cause.”
“The cause is: Let’s get the gang members out. Everybody agrees. But let’s not, innocent gay hairdressers, get lumped up with the gangs.
It’s unclear when or if Garcia will return to the United States.
The Trump Administration has also claimed that U.S. courts lack jurisdiction to order Garcia’s immediate return from the prison where he is behind bars.
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