Of course I’m not going to do it,”
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele
Despite judicial orders, President Trump remains defiant when it comes to repatriating a wrongfully arrested and deported legally-protected El Salvadoran immigrant who has lived in the country for a decade, is married to an American citizen with whom he has a child and his wife is pregnant with another. That there is no evidence whatsoever Abrego Garcia was ever a gang member or has ever been charged with a crime in either the United States or his home country seems irrelevant to the president.
In its unprecedented and highly-questionably use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, the government’s sole justification for his arrest and deportation was a tattoo the government alleges is a gang marking, while Mr. Garcia contends is representative of his favorite soccer team. Yet even the Administration has admitted the deportation of Mr. Abrego Garcia was an “administrative error.”
However, Trump, surrounded by obedient Cabinet officials on cue speaking in support of the president, smugly smiled his approval as the El Salvadoran president called returning Mr. Garcia back to the US “preposterous”.
Congress, particularly Congressional Republicans must finally demonstrate real patriotism and take action to suspend all aid to El Salvador and hold-up Trump’s legislative agendas until Mr. Garcia is safely returned to American soil.
For those who have served in uniform, “Leave no man behind” is a core military principle. Sadly, it seems for Donald Trump, bringing home wrongly imprisoned Americans abroad is only a priority when in support of his ever-changing policies or it creates a favorable photo-op.
