The US Supreme Court has ruled that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man mistakenly deported by the Trump administration, must be brought back to the United States.
In a unanimous 9-0 decision, the court upheld a lower court’s directive for the federal government to “facilitate and effectuate” Garcia’s return, rejecting arguments from the administration that the judiciary lacked authority in matters of foreign diplomacy.
Garcia, 29, had previously been granted protection from deportation by an immigration judge in 2019 due to the risk of persecution in his native country.
Photo: Reuters
Despite this, he was deported on 15 March and placed in El Salvador’s high-security Cecot prison, which is notorious for housing gang members.
The Trump administration acknowledged Garcia’s removal was the result of an “administrative error” but appealed against his court-ordered return, arguing that only the president has authority to direct international diplomatic actions.
Justice Department officials warned the lower court had overstepped by compelling the executive branch to act on foreign soil.
However, the Supreme Court dismissed this concern, while requesting further clarification from Judge Paula Xinis regarding the scope of her directive.
Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, Garcia’s attorney, hailed the decision as a victory for judicial oversight. “The rule of law prevailed,” he said.
The case will now proceed in the Maryland district court, with no specified timeline for Garcia’s return.
In separate events, Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, and Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and US permanent resident, have both been detained by US immigration authorities in recent weeks amid a crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism.
Ozturk, a Fulbright Scholar, was arrested in Massachusetts and later transferred to Louisiana despite a court order. Khalil was similarly detained and accused of supporting Hamas—allegations he denies.
Civil rights groups and lawmakers have condemned the arrests as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to silence dissent and target international students engaged in political speech.
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