Donald Trump accidentally sent wrong man to El Salvador mega prison – and 'can't get him back'

Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who had protected immigration status in the US, was mistakenly sent to El Salvador's brutal CECOT mega prison due to an administrative error - and government officials can't get him back

The Trump administration has accidentally sent a Salvadorian immigrant to one of the country's most notorious prisons - and now it says it can't get him back.

Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who had protected immigration status in the US, was mistakenly sent there due to an administrative error, according to a recent court filing. Despite him being granted protection from removal due to fears of persecution, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent the dad to El Salvador's brutal CECOT mega prison on March 15.

The ICE admitted to their mistake, saying: “On March 15, although ICE was aware of his protection from removal to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia was removed to El Salvador because of an administrative error.” Abrego Garcia's family are now suing the government, demanding it bar payments to El Salvador for his detention and seek his return. But the Trump Adminstration says that since he's no longer in US custody, American courts have no jurisdiction over the case.

Abrego Garcia fled El Salvador around 2011 to escape gang violence, only to find himself accused of being an MS-13 member by ICE in 2019. His attorneys argue the accusations stem from a flimsy arrest related to him wearing a Chicago Bulls T-shirt whilst trying to find work outside a Home Depot. The Maryland man, who has no criminal record, had applied for asylum and was granted protection by a judge, who withheld his removal from the US. The government did not appeal the decision.

But on March 15, ICE put him on a plane to Ek Salvador, despite his legal protections. Abrego Garcia, a union sheet metal working apprentice and father to a 5-year-old, was immediately placed in CECOT - a facility known for its brutal conditions and tied to allegations of torture. His attorneys are calling the move a “grotesque display of power without law”.

The CECOT prison was also the site of other controversial deportations under the Trump administration, including the removal of hundreds of Venezuelans accused of ties to a gang. Many of those deported had little to no criminal history, with some even facing deportation over tattoos with common symbols like a rainbow or an Air Jordan logo.

The situation has sparked widespread outrage, with critics accusing the Trump administration of abusing its powers and violating legal protections. As the legal battle continues, the administration has sought to resume its controversial deportations, even defying a court order in mid-March which ordered them to turn the planes around.

The Mirror has contacted the Department of Homeland Security and the White House for comment.