Althouse: "'You could get him back, there’s a phone on this desk,' said Terry Moran, an ABC News correspondent.... 'I could,' Mr. Trump replied."

April 30, 2025

"'You could get him back, there’s a phone on this desk,' said Terry Moran, an ABC News correspondent.... 'I could,' Mr. Trump replied."

"Mr. Moran said Mr. Trump could call President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador and get Mr. Abrego Garcia back immediately. 'And if he were the gentleman that you say he is, I would do that,' Mr. Trump said. 'But he is not.' Mr. Trump added that government lawyers do not want to help bring Mr. Abrego Garcia back to the United States. Mr. Trump’s comments not only undermined previous statements by his top aides, but were a blunt sign of his administration’s intention to double down and defy the courts.... Mr. Trump also told ABC News his administration was right to send Mr. Abrego Garcia to a prison in El Salvador designed for terrorists... despite various government officials previously saying in court that the deportation was an 'administrative error.'... 'This is a MS-13 gang member,' Mr. Trump said during the interview...."

The NYT reports.

75 comments:

TeaBagHag said...: Dementia Donnie eactually believes Garcia has MS-13 tattooed on his hand. Is that a problem or do we like our leaders to be delusional?; 4/30/25, 9:44 AM
TickTock said...: Courts have overstepped. Trump is signaling the Supremes not to order what they cannot enforce.; 4/30/25, 9:44 AM
Cloudesley Shovell said...: The fact that President Nayib Bukele is on record as stating that the idea of returning Mr. Abrego Garcia (a citizen of El Salvador) to the United States is "preposterous" seems to undermine the NY Times reporting here.

Kind regards,
CS; 4/30/25, 9:46 AM
Mr. D said...: He could bring the guy back. He could also smack himself upside the head with a ball-peen hammer, or whip out his penis and masturbate before the camera, but he's unlikely to do any of those things. I don't recall Terry Moran asking Joe Biden to do things that run counter to his interests, primarily because doing so would be counter to Moran's interests.; 4/30/25, 9:49 AM
Leland said...: Sure. Trump could put undue pressure on Bukele to return an El Salvadoran citizen to the United States to face a trial. Why would he? When ABC News cannot answer the question, it doesn’t undermine Trump’s position. It reinforces his position.; 4/30/25, 9:49 AM
Leland said...: I don't recall Terry Moran asking Joe Biden to do things that run counter to his interests

Can you imagine a journalist asking Biden if he could get the trapped Afghanis that supported the US out of Afghanistan, when Biden left them there to be tortured and killed? They didn’t dare. Instead, journalists defamed people who did try to help people, including trapped Americans. They called them human traffickers. You know, like the guy now in jail in El Salvador.; 4/30/25, 9:52 AM
Jupiter said...: Did anyone ask Mr. Moran why he wants Garcia back so badly? There's plenty more gang-banging wife-beaters where that one came from.; 4/30/25, 9:55 AM
jaydub said...: I believe the court said Trump should "facilitate" the return, which is something much less than actively "seeking" the return of the criminal gang member which is the spin ABC news is attempting to sell. Trump has already "facilitated" the return since his administration has offered to accept the criminal gang member into the US before deporting him again. Of course, the NYT and ABC and other anti-Trump media know this but are being willfully obtuse to make political points. Trump's push back on the leftist media is precisely why I voted for him.; 4/30/25, 9:56 AM
tommyesq said...: There has never been any question that he was correctly identified as MS-13. The only issue was whether he should be barred from going back to El Salvador because he would have to fear retribution from a rival gang operating around his parents' neighborhood. It seems to me that his being safely ensconced in the El Salvadoran prison should ensure he is safe from those neighborhood gangbangers.; 4/30/25, 9:57 AM
danoso said...: “I regret that I have but one life to lose for this hill” - every TDS sufferer; 4/30/25, 10:01 AM
Dave Begley said...: All the more reason to get the courts out of this issue and issue an EO and ban the use of the writ of habeas corpus as to MS-13 and TdA.

Bring on the constitutional "crisis."

If it was good enough for Lincoln, it is good enough for Trump.; 4/30/25, 10:01 AM
Original Mike said...: "'And if he were the gentleman that you say he is, I would do that,' Mr. Trump said. “But he is not.' "

This.; 4/30/25, 10:01 AM
Wince said...: Isn't telling Trump to exert diplomatic pressure exactly the infringement upon the executive's conduct of foreign policy that SCOTUS wished to avoid with its "facilitate" decree?; 4/30/25, 10:05 AM
rehajm said...: The ‘courts’ are corrupt. Hawaiian judges and traditional media are want us all to live in the lawless region between corrupt decisions to get Trump and rational decisions from superior courts where judges still follow rule of law…; 4/30/25, 10:07 AM
Jaq said...: Lot's of guys do prison tattoos of MS-13 on their fingers just to be one of the cool kids. According to a story I read in the Boston Globe, his claim to stay here is based on the fact that members of rival gangs in El Salvador might try to harm him.

"Isn't telling Trump to exert diplomatic pressure exactly the infringement upon the executive's conduct of foreign policy that SCOTUS wished to avoid with its "facilitate" decree?"

If the media embedded Democrat operatives were honest people, this comment would be a torpedo amidship to their arguments, but they are not, they are propagandists, and they count on the fact that the issues in this case are a lot to keep straight in normal people's minds.; 4/30/25, 10:12 AM
wsw said...: blunt sign. LOL; 4/30/25, 10:21 AM
Bob B said...: Trump plays three-dimensional chess while the Democrats and media (but I repeat myself) are struggling to understand checkers. This statement of Trump just insures the media will keep the issue before the public, that is, Democrats love wife-beating illegal alien gang members while Trump deports them.; 4/30/25, 10:25 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: Trump loves to battle with the MSM-DNC reporters. The problem is they just want to push the Democrat agenda, which means pushing issues that most Americans don't care about or are Democrat propaganda points.

The Judiciary doesnt run foreign affairs. The POTUS does. The courts aren't being "Defied". They're being told to stay in their lane.; 4/30/25, 10:25 AM
Big Mike said...: TDS is tedious. Go away, New York Times — grownups have work to do.; 4/30/25, 10:28 AM
RCOCEAN II said...: BTW, isn't it interesting that Bush, who made a big whoop-de-doo about "Presidental power" and "The balance between the 3 branches" while POTUS, has never said one word to support Trump. Nor did he oppose Biden breaking all rules/Traditions regarding Excecutive privilage or treatment of Ex-Presidents.

In this case, he probably agrees with the Democrats, that no one should be deported. Ever...ever.; 4/30/25, 10:29 AM
n.n said...: Liberal tears from The Twilight Fringe.

The illegal alien went through two rounds of due process, criminal conviction, and the origin stipulation is moot. El Salvador is not Chicago. This is not American Civil Liberties Unburdened. Abort.; 4/30/25, 10:36 AM
n.n said...: JournoListic jingoism.; 4/30/25, 10:38 AM
Harun said...: Tea Bag Hag doesn't understand that gangsters use symbolic coding?

Also, he was driving the car of a trafficker while having 7 illegals in the car.

Sure sounds like he worked for human traffickers.; 4/30/25, 10:40 AM
TreeJoe said...: As far as I can tell, we now have:

1. An FBI CI claimed he was MS-13.
2. A affidavit signed by his ex claimed he was a gang member and that he was a danger to a child in 2018.
3. He claimed to need to be in the U.S. and avoid being returning to El Salvador to avoid rival gang related pursuit.
4. He has tattoos consistent with MS-13
5. There is at least some questionable police/criminal history with him.
6. He's got a history with the police that is, at best, questionable.
7. He's been in immigration court and was ordered deported.

I recognition that deportation order was ignored/not followed through on, but at a certain point this is an illegal alien with a seriously questionable history who was ordered deported. And that is a BEST case scenario.

And this is claimed to be a lack of due process. On a SINGLE person. When we had MILLIONS of people flood in in the last 5 years alone.; 4/30/25, 10:42 AM
CJinPA said...: Every attorney associated with Trump knows that STFU is not something he is able to do even when it benefits him or his administration.; 4/30/25, 10:48 AM
Kevin said...: Dementia Donnie

You really think this hits the mark after the last four years?

Do you have any idea just how mentally compromised Trump would have to be for this to get any traction -- at all?; 4/30/25, 10:51 AM
Bob Boyd said...: If you're accused of a crime you are due a lot more process than if your immigration status is not legal. Dems are trying to conflate the two. If someone is here illegally, deport them and let them be their home country's problem.; 4/30/25, 10:56 AM
MadisonMan said...: The NYTimes writes: "...Mr. Trump’s comments not only undermined previous statements by his top aides.." but I notice they don't supply a quote. Are we just supposed to believe what they write? After so many times in the near past when what they've written has been shown to be false?; 4/30/25, 11:00 AM
JIM said...: Looks as though the fish tank media is back to covering the "Maryland Man" from El Salvador in another futile attempt to persuade people that aren't fish, that Trump is a lawless cad.; 4/30/25, 11:07 AM
gilbar said...: Serious Question:
are the democrats MORE desirous of getting this guy back BECAUSE he's a terrorist?
or do the just Not CARE that he is a terrorist?; 4/30/25, 11:14 AM
Randomizer said...: ABC News would be so much more interesting if the journalist wasn't a partisan hack.

The POTUS does not have the ability to get El Salvador to turn over one if it's citizens.

Donald Trump could do that with a phone call.

That is an interesting distinction that the journalist could explore, rather than setting a mundane trap for Trump to ignore.; 4/30/25, 11:18 AM
hombre said...: I don’t go past the paywall, but it appears an unnamed ABC person told an NYT person or persons that Trump said something. And “various” unnamed officials said something about an error. The excerpt, and presumably the article are fiskable, but why bother? The leftmediaswine are simply not believable on matters TRUMP except by their silo people who will believe anything the NYT bleats. And, BTW, who cares?; 4/30/25, 11:31 AM
mindnumbrobot said...: "could call President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador and get Mr. Abrego Garcia back immediately."

Why would he? Jeebuz! I can't believe they're still pushing this story.; 4/30/25, 11:32 AM
rehajm said...: ‘There’s a phone on this desk’ is fine for Althousian snark but unprofessional for a ‘journalist’ to say to a sitting President. Where are the Althouse behavior police when you need them?; 4/30/25, 11:35 AM
D.D. Driver said...: OMG. Trump and Belichick look like the same clueless out of touch geezers. They need to go to the nursing home with Sleepy Joe.

Trump insisting the (very clearly photoshopped) letters on the guys knuckles were genuine was terrifying because you could tell Trump really believed what he was saying. He wasn't faking. He really is that clueless. He sounds like your dopey grandma.; 4/30/25, 11:39 AM
stlcdr said...: Is Garcia an American citizen or has the legal right to reside in the US?

No.

End of conversation.; 4/30/25, 11:41 AM
mindnumbrobot said...: "insisting the (very clearly photoshopped) letters on the guys knuckles were genuine was terrifying"

This from the same crowd that insisted Biden was mentally sharp. Trump may be mistaken in this case, but Biden was cognitively impaired his entire presidency. There are many things to criticize with Trump, but mental acuity isn't one of them.; 4/30/25, 11:47 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: I don't even care if Trump was confused by the "MS-13" his staff superimposed on the fingers to explain the symbols. He grasps the big picture. And he's still 100% improvement over sniffy Joe's corrupt and anti-American regime.; 4/30/25, 11:52 AM
bagoh20 said...: Imagine kicking an intruder out of your house, and some judge saying you have to let him back in because you didn't say "please".; 4/30/25, 11:53 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: My favorite parts were Trump saying he chose Moran because "I don't even know who you are" and his parting shot of "ABC is still the worst of the fake news."; 4/30/25, 11:53 AM
Curious George said...: "TeaBagHag said...
Dementia Donnie eactually believes Garcia has MS-13 tattooed on his hand. Is that a problem or do we like our leaders to be delusional?"

You just come out of a four year coma?; 4/30/25, 12:03 PM
Breezy said...: Moran was pretty emotional. Surprising.

Also, he pulls that same rude schtick of wrapping up with a “fact check”, often wrong, then immediately trying to change the subject. Trump wouldn’t let him get away with it. Super rude and juvenile for our precious media to stoop to this over and over. They are supposed to ask substantive questions, not participate in a debate. Irksome!; 4/30/25, 12:10 PM
boatbuilder said...: Even for the NYT, this is really dishonest.

You are "journalists." Why don't you explain the specific nature of the "administrative error" at issue? That the guy wasn't (technically) subject to being deported because there was a previous administrative court order protecting him from deportation BECAUSE HE IS AN MS-13 MEMBER WHO WOULD BE IN DANGER FROM RIVAL GANGS.
"All the News That's Fit To Print." But not that.

Do any of the defenders of this guy want to explain why he was just hanging out with 3 MS-13 guys in 2019?; 4/30/25, 12:28 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: “Sure. Trump could put undue pressure on Bukele to return an El Salvadoran citizen to the United States to face a trial. Why would he? “

He probably won’t, because it’s a Separation of Powers issue. The judge is, essentially, trying to dictate foreign policy (to lean on the President of El Salvador) to Trump and his Administration. Presidents cannot afford to let District Court judges do that, because once they are successful once, the Judiciary will try to do it more often. Foreign policy is primarily an Executive Branch power, with some say by the Legislative Branch (e.g. Senate ratification of treaties, allocation of monies, etc).; 4/30/25, 12:29 PM
Mr. T. said...: Terry Moran was one of the asshat leftist media clowns that claimed Crystal Mangum was raped.

He has no business lecturing anyone, let alone the POTUS about.criminal matters.

And Didnt his media fraud org just have to pay millions of dollars to Trump for defamation recently?; 4/30/25, 12:34 PM
Peachy said...: D-Bag Hag - your BS was sorted out in a previous thread. Apparently you cannot read.; 4/30/25, 12:38 PM
Peachy said...: Get ALL illegals OUT. Return them to their homelands and country of origin. Democratics demand Due Process for illegals - fine - give the illegal his/her court date and tell them they must wait in THEIR country until the US courts open up.
Might be a few decades.; 4/30/25, 12:43 PM
Bob Shepherd said...: The question nobody has asked, ""If he doesn't belong here and he doesn't go back to the country where he is a citizen, what makes you think any other country wants another gang banger?" His country wants to give him his due process there, so what could be wrong with that?; 4/30/25, 1:00 PM
Rusty said...: "There has never been any question that he was correctly identified as MS-13. The only issue was whether he should be barred from going back to El Salvador because he would have to fear retribution from a rival gang operating around his parents' neighborhood"
Not my circus. Not my clowns.; 4/30/25, 1:51 PM
Hassayamper said...: are the democrats MORE desirous of getting this guy back BECAUSE he's a terrorist?
or do the just Not CARE that he is a terrorist?

Most of the time I think they don't care. They want immigrants because immigrants vote Democrat, or more properly, can be registered as voters and have Democrat ward-heelers cast votes in their name in the back room after the polls close. If some of them are rapists or terrorists or murderers, so what? Their objective is seizing power, not making America safe or prosperous. Eggs and omelets, who cares? At those times, I don't consider Democrats to be fellow Americans, but enemies who must be defeated.

Sometimes the stories of what the enemy Democrat scum are doing are just so shocking and egregious that I do in fact have dark thoughts about how it must surely be by design. The Cloward-Piven strategy applied to the border. They WANT terrorists. They WANT murderers. They WANT rapists. They WANT disorder, violence, poverty, fear, pain and suffering, because fearful, suffering people clamor for more and more Big Nanny Government to save them, and the prime directive of a Democrat is the permanent and continuous aggrandizement of government. At these times, I don't consider Democrats fellow human beings, but lice and rats and cockroaches deserving of being dealt with as such.; 4/30/25, 1:54 PM
Jersey Fled said...: I know this might be a minor detail to some, but wouldn’t his statement that he was afraid to return to El Salvador because of fear of a “rival gang” kinda sorta be an admission that he was a gang member? Not that I don’t think we have ample evidence anyway.; 4/30/25, 2:02 PM
n.n said...: wouldn’t his statement that he was afraid to return to El Salvador because of fear of a “rival gang” kinda sorta be an admission

Hoisted on his own Fani.; 4/30/25, 2:34 PM
Leland said...: Bob Shepherd said...
The question nobody has asked, ""If he doesn't belong here and he doesn't go back to the country where he is a citizen, what makes you think any other country wants another gang banger?"

I've noticed that too. It could be a splinter subject, because the answer is what Trump did with Tren de Aragua. They are Venezuela. Venezuela didn't want them back. El Salvador agreed to take them.

I think the problem is opening up the court case that needs to be heard. Can Article III Judges prevent the Executive Branch from sending citizens of a foreign country back to that country? The answer would probably be too easy to answer based on written law and common law. They don't want that answer.; 4/30/25, 3:35 PM
Robert Cook said...: "The fact that President Nayib Bukele is on record as stating that the idea of returning Mr. Abrego Garcia (a citizen of El Salvador) to the United States is "preposterous" seems to undermine the NY Times reporting here."

Bukele is simply working as part of a tag team with Trump, given they are brother tyrants. If Trump really wanted to bring him back, Bukele would either do so without qualm, or under pressure from Trump.; 4/30/25, 3:59 PM
Leland said...: Bukele has a 90% approval rating in El Salvador. He is no tyrant, unless you are a gang member.; 4/30/25, 4:05 PM
Robert Cook said...: "Courts have overstepped."

The courts are there to act as a brake or brick wall for to slow down or halt actions by other government institution who otherwise might go to far, ignore due process, violate constitutional rights that pertain, etc. The Supreme Court--which is not presently a liberal court by any means--finds the deportment of Mr. Garcia an objectionable action that must be remedied by his immediate return to the states. The Trump Yahoos (of which a majority of Althouse's commenters are members) seem to have knowledge handed down from on high that Garcia is an MS-13 member, that he came here from El Salvador, etc., while the Supreme Court and many others assert these assertions are either not true or have not been determined. Your bigotry for this man and your hatred for the "freedoms" you hypocritically bray about (except when it might serve those who you think are less than human) are in full fever here.; 4/30/25, 4:19 PM
Robert Cook said...: "Courts have overstepped."

The courts are there to act as a brake or brick wall to slow down or halt actions by other government institutions who otherwise might go to far, ignore due process, violate constitutional rights that pertain, etc. The Supreme Court--which is not presently a liberal court by any means--finds the deportment of Mr. Garcia an objectionable action that must be remedied by his immediate return to the states. The Trump Yahoos (of which a majority of Althouse's commenters are members) seem to have knowledge handed down from on high that Garcia is an MS-13 member, that he came here from El Salvador, etc., while the Supreme Court and many others find these assertions are either not true or have not been determined. Your bigotry for this man and your hatred for the "freedoms" you hypocritically bray about except when it might actually serve those who you think are less than human are in full fever here.; 4/30/25, 4:22 PM
Robert Cook said...: Sorry...double post due to corrections of typos, etc. I forgot we cannot delete our posts any longer.; 4/30/25, 4:23 PM
Robert Cook said...: Let me add: I do not know if Garcia is (or ever was) a member of MS-13 or not. It's possible he is or was. However, under our system of law, the accused are due their day in court, (not just US citizens). The Supreme Court, having looked at the available facts, do not find information that supports Garcia's deportation to El Salvador. They have stated he must be returned. If Constitutional rights can be ignored so swiftly and with so little concern or protest, we all are in imminent danger by the abuse of power by our government.; 4/30/25, 4:33 PM
Meade said...: “If Constitutional rights can be ignored so swiftly and with so little concern or protest, we all are in imminent danger by the abuse of power by our government”

Then they came for Robert Cook and everyone at the Althouse blog, in unison, spoke up for him, shouting, ‘WTF, Deep State! Hands off Robert Cook! Cook is not illegal. He might be guilty of being OUR radical loony lefty, sure, but he’s no child-trafficking Hamas-supporting wife-beating gang banger rapist murderer. Facilitate him back to us right this minute!’; 4/30/25, 5:19 PM
Bob Shepherd said...: Here's what I know and you know and democrats are banking on: If they can demand that every. single. one. of the millions of illegals gets a day in court and an appeal and an appeal of that, our duly elected president won't get one percent of the job done, and all those illegitimate democrat voters will still be there for the midterms. Right? Of course, right!; 4/30/25, 5:33 PM
William50 said...: TeaBagHag said...
"...or do we like our leaders to be delusional? "

Well, Biden wanted to shake hands with people who weren't there and thought he was the President of NATO so I would say, yes Democrats do.; 4/30/25, 5:39 PM
Rusty said...: "Then they came for Robert Cook and everyone at the Althouse blog, in unison, spoke up for him, shouting, ‘WTF, Deep State! Hands off Robert Cook! Cook is not illegal. He might be guilty of being OUR radical loony lefty, sure, but he’s no child-trafficking Hamas-supporting wife-beating gang banger rapist murderer."
Are you sure?; 4/30/25, 5:40 PM
Greg The Class Traitor said...: Jesus you leftists are morons

Yes, Trump could exercise his Executive Power of diplomacy and bring the MS-13 thug back. But NO court can order that, and he's not going to do that.

Separation of powers. Heard of it?; 4/30/25, 8:38 PM
narciso said...: the constitution is not a suicide pact; 4/30/25, 9:54 PM
narciso said...: he is the third string hack, and he was out of material; 4/30/25, 10:03 PM
The Genius Savant said...: Whether he is/was a member of MS-13 is wholly irrelevant. He is a national of El Salvador. He was in the United States illegally. He was deported to his country of origin. Full stop. There is nothing else to consider.; 4/30/25, 11:15 PM
D.D. Driver said...: "Whether he is/was a member of MS-13 is wholly irrelevant. He is a national of El Salvador. He was in the United States illegally. He was deported to his country of origin. Full stop. There is nothing else to consider."

Actually, he was here lawfully with a wife and child until he was thrown in prison over an ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR!!!!; 5/1/25, 6:55 AM
D.D. Driver said...: "the constitution is not a suicide pact"

Th Founding Fathers would string you up by a tree and gut you like the pathetic commie puke that you are. Come after the Constitution and meet the Second Amendment fuckface. You'll find out about a little suicide pact, Nancy.; 5/1/25, 6:57 AM
Leland said...: Actually, he was here lawfully with a wife and child until he was thrown in prison over an ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR!!!

You are ill informed. He had a deportation order. A judge determined it could be enforced but that he couldn’t be deported to El Salvador, because of the claimed threat to life. Had Garcia deported himself on his own, to a country of his choosing, he wouldn’t be in a prison today in El Salvador. He was told he had to go, and he chose not to leave on his own.; 5/1/25, 7:22 AM
Bob Shepherd said...: Where does Leland get his news? The news I've read says two different judges ruled he was a gang member and ordered him to be deported. He claimed that a rival gang would kill him if he went back to El Salvador. Tell me Leland, how could a Maryland father tick off a rival gang in El Salvador? Should the rest of us be worried about "rival gangs" in El Salvador gunning for us? Are you worried for your life? Yes, he's entitled to due process, but like all other El Salvadoreans, he has to get it there.; 5/1/25, 9:40 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: “Bukele is simply working as part of a tag team with Trump, given they are brother tyrants. If Trump really wanted to bring him back, Bukele would either do so without qualm, or under pressure from Trump.”

In other words, the judge would order the President to engage in specific foreign policy. Which is a Separation of Powers issue. So Trump, or pretty much any other President (except for, maybe, Biden, due to his advanced dementia) pretty much has to oppose this, or risk permanently having the Judiciary second guess the Executive’s foreign policy decisions.; 5/1/25, 11:12 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: “Actually, he was here lawfully with a wife and child until he was thrown in prison over an ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR!!!!”

Well, no. He wasn’t here legally. He had been ordered deported. His ordered deportation was just blocked due to his supposed fear of another gang if he returned home to his native El Salvador. Turns out, the new government in El Salvador has effectively taken care of that gang, so it no longer poses significant danger to anyone, including members, like Garcia, of the rival MS-13 gang.; 5/1/25, 11:19 AM
Robert Cook said...: RE: Meade at 5:19 PM

Cute, but it doesn't address the matter of the Supreme Court ordering Garcia must be returned to the states. Does this not at least suggest to you they find no basis justifying his having been deported in the first place, that a grave violation of the Constitution has been brazenly carried out? Given reports of other actual Americans being deported or detained and threatened with being deported, all Americans who support our Constitutional rights must be concerned at such dismissal of them.; 5/1/25, 11:39 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: “The courts are there to act as a brake or brick wall to slow down or halt actions by other government institutions who otherwise might go to far, ignore due process, violate constitutional rights that pertain, etc. The Supreme Court--which is not presently a liberal court by any means--finds the deportment of Mr. Garcia an objectionable action that must be remedied by his immediate return to the states. The Trump Yahoos (of which a majority of Althouse's commenters are members) seem to have knowledge handed down from on high that Garcia is an MS-13 member, that he came here from El Salvador, etc., while the Supreme Court and many others find these assertions are either not true or have not been determined.”

I don’t think that you quite understand the posture of the case. Two Article II (Immigration) courts determined that he was indeed a MS-19 gang member, and he didn’t contest it, at the time. That issue is closed. And, indeed, he likely would have been deported years ago, if he hadn’t been a MS-19 gang member, because the reason that his ordered deportation was frozen because of his fear that a rival gang would kill him, for his MS-13 gang membership, if he were deported back home. No MS-19 gang membership => no reason not to have deported him.

Keep in mind that at one level, his MS-19 gang membership is irrelevant. He was in the country illegally, and had been ordered deported, as a result, by two Article II courts. This fact cannot legitimately be relitigated by the Article III District Court judge. It’s not within his jurisdiction. The only legitimate question that it can address is whether the USG properly removed the block to his deportation, based on the El Salvador government essentially having destroyed the rival gang that may have killed him, for his MS-19 membership.; 5/1/25, 11:41 AM