Here's How Many Times The White House Insisted Abrego Garcia Wouldn't Be Brought Back To The U.S. [View all]

Abrego Garcia’s return comes after the Trump administration had repeatedly insisted it could not bring Abrego Garcia back to the U.S.—despite an order from the Supreme Court to “facilitate” his return—claiming the immigrant was out of the government’s jurisdiction now that he was in El Salvador.

Bondi told reporters Friday that El Salvador’s government had allowed Abrego Garcia to return to the country, despite previous claims from President Nayib Bukele that he could not have the man returned.

TRUMP OFFICIALS REPEATEDLY SAID THEY WOULD NOT BRING ABREGO GARCIA BACK TO THE U.S.

The Trump administration insisted prior to Abrego Garcia’s indictment he would not be brought back to the United States. Bondi said in April that Abrego Garcia was “not coming back to our country," and said that if Bukele returned him, the U.S. would send him back to El Salvador. (Bukele said days prior to Bondi’s comment he did not have the authority to return him.) Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during a March testimony to Congress that Abrego Garcia “will never” return to the U.S., saying if “he were to come back to this country, he would be immediately removed again.” Similarly, White House’s immigration lead, Stephen Miller, said in an Oval Office meeting with Trump that if Bukele returned Abrego Garcia, “he would be deported the second time to El Salvador," and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, “There is never going to be a world in which this is an individual who is going to live a peaceful life in Maryland.”


https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2025/06/06/heres-how-many-times-the-white-house-insisted-abrego-garcia-wouldnt-be-brought-back-to-the-us/