Muslim civil rights and advocacy group also says President Bukele, a Palestinian and the son of an imam, should be at the forefront of demanding justice for all
The Maryland office and national headquarters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today condemned an “unjust farce” in the Oval Office after President Trump and El Salvadorian president Nayib Bukele doubled down on their refusal to return Maryland father Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly deported to El Salvador due to an alleged “administrative error.”
Despite an order from the Supreme Court, President Trump made no effort to seek Garcia’s return and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said he does not intend to return Mr. Garcia, baselessly smearing him as a terrorist.
Mr. Bukele also said at an Oval Office meeting with President Trump that he does not have the power to “smuggle” Kilmer Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father and sheet metal worker, even though no one has asked him to smuggle the man into the United States.
In a statement, CAIR Deputy Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“A father of three who was wrongly deported from the United States is being held in a dangerous prison in a foreign country without any legal basis. Everyone knows that President Bukele could and would return this kidnapped father if the United States demanded his transfer, but President Trump has refused to do so in violation of a court order.
“As the son of a respected imam and a leader of Palestinian descent, President Bukele should be at the forefront of demanding justice for all people, including this father of three imprisoned in El Salvador without facing criminal charges or receiving any due process. And as the President of the United States sworn to uphold the U.S. Constitution, President Trump must uphold the orders of the Supreme Court.
“Our courts must appropriately address the unjust farce we saw in the Oval Office today. If the government can get away with this injustice, it would set a precedent that endangers everyone—including American citizens—who the government could ship overseas and then declare itself powerless to return.”
In a statement, CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry said:
“The Trump administration has an obligation to heed the Supreme Court’s order and the call of advocacy groups like CASA to reunite Kilmer Abrego Garcia with his family and rectify this grave injustice. They are suffering the consequences of this cruel negligence, and each day that passes without reunification exacerbates their pain and loss. CAIR calls on this administration to take swift action and ensure Mr. Garcia’s safe return home to Maryland.”
She noted that CAIR previously applauded a ruling from U.S. District Judge Paula Xin is ordering the Trump administration to return Mr. Garcia home.
SEE: CAIR Welcomes Federal Court Ruling that Maryland Father Deported in Error Must Be Returned to U.S.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com