White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller went on an Oval Office tirade about why a father who was wrongly deported to El Salvador should not be returned to the United States.
Invited to talk by Donald Trump, Miller launched into an attack on the American media, saying it was “arrogant” to claim the administration should tell El Salvador how to treat its own citizens.
He insisted that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, still languishing in a grim top security prison in the Central American country, was a proven member of MS-13, the feared El Salvadorean criminal gang.
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“Under our law, he’s not even allowed to be present in the United States, and had to be returned because of the foreign terrorist designation,” he said on Monday.
Although the Justice Department has acknowledged a mistake in rounding up Garcia, his hopes of being allowed back to his home in Maryland suffered a huge blow.
First, Miller insisted America had no say in Garcia’s plight.
And then El Salvador President Nayib Bukele claimed it was “preposterous” to consider sending the father of a young child back to the U.S. “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? Of course I’m not going to do it,” he said, adding: “We’re not very fond of releasing terrorists.”
Miller said a district court judge, Judge Paula Xinis, wanted the administration to “kidnap” Garcia and bring him back to the U.S.
He added that the Supreme Court reversed that decision by a unanimous 9-0 majority, stating “clearly that neither the Secretary of State nor the President could be compelled by anybody to forcibly retrieve a citizen of El Salvador from El Salvador who, again, is a member of MS-13, which, as I’m sure you understand, rapes little girls, murders women, murders children and engages in the most nefarious activities in the world.
“And I can promise you, if he was your neighbor, you would move away.”
Miller claimed that if El Salvador sent Garcia back, he could be deported a second time.”
“That is a the president of El Salvador,” added Miller, pointing at Bukele sitting on a chair next to Trump and saying that any further questions on Garcia’s fate should be directed at him.
According to court filings, Garcia has never been charged criminally in the U.S. or El Salvador and Justice Department officials have acknowledged the existence of an immigration order barring him from being deported to El Salvador.
While an immigration judge found in 2019 that Garcia was a member of MS-13, he denies the charge, saying it was based on one “unsubstantiated” claim that involved him wearing a Chicago Bulls hat and a hoodie. He came illegally into the country 15 years ago but was granted protection from being deported for his own safety.
The Supreme Court found the deportation was illegal and ordered the administration to “effectuate” his return, but Trump’s advisors have repeatedly said it is not in their jurisdiction.
Right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk called Miller’s rant a “masterclass,” adding: “Everyone needs to watch Stephen Miller’s real-time factcheck on the truth about the MS-13 illegal gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia that was deported to El Salvador.”
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen said he planned to travel to El Salvador if Garcia is not returned.
“Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia never should have been abducted and illegally deported, and the courts have made clear: the Administration must bring him home, now. However, since the Trump Administration appears to be ignoring these court mandates, we need to take additional action,” he said in a statement.
After Miller spoke, Secretary of State Marco Rubio added: “I don’t understand what the confusion is.” He claimed the country’s foreign policy should be “conducted by the president of the United States, not by a court”.
Trump said he planned to deport “as many as possible” to El Salvador. He said that could include “home-grown” criminals and he told Bukele the president has “gotta build about 5 more places” in addition to his maximum security “terrorist” prison.
