U.S. President Donald Trump meets with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, April 14, 2025.
The Trump administration told a federal judge on Monday that it does not have the authority to compel El Salvador to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States from a notorious prison despite a court order and the U.S. Supreme Court ruling saying that should happen.
That claim in a court filing came hours after El Salvador President Nayib Bukele told reporters at the White House that he would not voluntarily return Abrego Garcia.
Mazzara, in the same filing to Judge Paula Xinis, noted Bukele's statements about Abrego Garcia, which were made during a meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
"The question is preposterous," Bukele said when he was asked about sending Abrego Garcia back from the prison.
Top Trump administration officials at the same meeting suggested they would not comply with Xinis' demand that officials facilitate Abrego Garcia's return, despite the district and Supreme Court orders.
The Trump administration claims the married father of three is a gang member, pointing to a 2019 statement by a U.S. immigration judge. »
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