Trump administration gives scant details on status of man mistakenly deported to El Salvador: 'He is alive and secure in that facility'

After a federal judge demanded details on the whereabouts of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man mistakenly deported to El Salvador, the Trump administration released scant details about his situation, acknowledging that "he is alive and secure" in a maximum-security prison.

"He is alive and secure in that facility. He is detained pursuant to the sovereign, domestic authority of El Salvador," Michael Kozak, a senior State Department official, said in a written statement filed with a judge under penalty of perjury.

Kozak's statement comes days after the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of repatriating Abrego Garcia, who was deported to El Salvador after being linked to the MS-13 gang, in a lengthy court case dating back to 2019.

It also comes after Federal Judge Paula Xinis asked the Trump administration for a detailed report on Abrego Garcia's whereabouts and the actions taken to manage his return to the United States. However, the information provided by the official was minimal and did not adequately respond to the court's requirements.

Abrego Garcia, who came to the U.S. after fleeing his country at age 16 and suffering gang harassment, was spared from deportation due to a 2019 court order that said the man was exposed to potential persecution or retaliation by a local gang. The Trump administration acknowledged that he was wrongly sent to El Salvador.

Apropos the case, President Trump said Friday that, should the Supreme Court order Abrego Garcia's return, the federal government would act accordingly.

"If the Supreme Court said bring somebody back, I would do that. I respect the Supreme Court. … I have great respect for the Supreme Court," Trump said aboard Air Force One. "I’m not totally well versed as to the specific case, but if they said to bring him back, I would tell them to bring him back."

Abrego Garcia's lawyers cited and seized on those statements as support for his repatriation request. They argued that Trump acknowledged that the United States has the capacity to manage Abrego Garcia's release and return to the country, so they asked Judge Xinis to order the federal government to provide the means of transportation from El Salvador and grant him an immigration status that would enable his legal entry into the country.