Every unbiased thing you need to know about Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Washington D.C.: Donald Trump has posted about Maryland senator Chris Van Hollen’s meeting with Kilmar Ábrego García, accusing the Democratic senator of being a “grandstander”. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: "Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for attention from the Fake News Media, or anyone."
The Trump administration has dug in on its insistence that it cannot do anything to free García from an El Salvador prison and return him to the US. Here are some things readers need to know about the man and the case
Where and when was Kilmar Abrego Garcia born?
Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was born in San Salvador, El Salvador, in July 1995.
When did Kilmar Garcia enter the US, and did he do it legally?
Kilmar Garcia was 16, when he entered the United States illegally in 2011.
What reason does Kilmar Garcia give for fleeing El Salvador and illegally entering the US?
Kilmar claims the Barrio 18 gang, a rival of MS-13, tried to extort his mother's pupusa business for money, and threatened that if she did not pay the money they would make sure her eldest son, Cesar, join their gang instead, later threatening to kill him. Even after Cesar was sent to the US, the threats continued, prompting the family to send Garcia to the US too.
Is the Barrio 18 gang still operating?
Despite reports, there is no verifiable evidence to show that the Barrio 18 gang has ceased functioning or that its ongoing war with MS-13 has ended.
Who is Kilmar Garcia's wife?
Kilmar Garcia is married to US citizen Jennifer Stefania Vasquez Sura, whom he met in 2016. While awaiting the resolution of his deportation proceedings, Abrego Garcia married Vasquez Sura in June 2019, and they had a child together later that year, who is a US citizen.
Did Jennifer Sura take out a restraining order against Kilmar Garcia?
Yes, Sura obtained a temporary protective order against Abrego Garcia in May of 2021. The order required that Abrego Garcia have no contact with Vasquez Sura, and that he stay away from their shared residence.
Why did Sura fear for her safety?
In a statement within a petition for protection "from domestic violence", Sura mentioned an incident on May 4, 2021, in which she alleges that Abrego Garcia "punched and scratched her eye" causing her to bleed.
Vasquez Sura said that when she told Abrego Garcia that she needed to go to a store, he "got angry, started yelling again to the point that he ripped [her] shorts and shirt off".
"And I ran to the bathroom, he [ran] behind me and grabbed me by my arm," Sura said. "I have marks on my left arm as well."
"At this point I am afraid to be close to him," Sura added. "I have multiple photos/videos of how [violent] he can be."
What does Sura say now?
Sura seems to have changed her story quite a bit recently. She told ABC News that "after surviving domestic violence in a previous relationship, I acted out of caution after a disagreement with Kilmar by seeking a protective order in case things escalated". That statement doesn't quite fit with her 2021 petition that claimed she had "multiple photos/videos of how [violent] he can be".
Sura now says, "Kilmar has always been a loving partner and father, and I will continue to stand by him and demand justice for him."
Is Kilmar Garcia a member of MS-13?
This is the bone of contention. In March 2019, Prince George's County, Maryland, police arrested Abrego Garcia and three other men in a Home Depot parking lot, where they were seeking work as day laborers. One of the men claimed Abrego Garcia was a "gang member", but according to court filings, the man offered no proof and police said they did not believe him. Abrego Garcia was never charged with a crime in connection to his arrest.
Kilmar Garcia was then handed over to ICE for deportation. In those proceedings, the government claimed that he was a member of the MS-13 criminal gang because "he was wearing a Chicago Bulls hat and a hoodie with rolls of money covering the eyes, ears and mouth of the presidents" and alleged that such clothes are "indicative of the Hispanic gang culture". MS-13 has previously adopted the Chicago Bulls logo as a gang symbol. The government additionally cited a confidential informant who claimed that Garcia was active with an MS-13 group based in New York. The informant also claimed that Garcia held the rank of "chequeo" within MS-13, though "chequeo" is not a rank and instead refers to yet-to-be-initiated recruits.
An immigration judge in a bond hearing determined that the informant's claim was sufficient evidence for the purpose of denying Abrego Garcia's bond request. Abrego Garcia has consistently denied any connection to MS-13.
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So why wasn't Kilmar Garcia deported in 2019?
Abrego Garcia applied for asylum and withholding of removal. His request for asylum was denied. However, an immigration judge, David M. Jones, granted him "withholding of removal" status that would prevent his deportation to El Salvador due to the threat that gangs would pose to him, finding that there was a "clear probability of future persecution" there and that he had "demonstrated that [El Salvador's] authorities were and would be unable or unwilling to protect him."
Abrego Garcia was released from custody and ICE did not appeal. The Department of Homeland Security granted him a work permit, and he had lived and worked legally in Maryland until his deportation. He has no criminal record.
Why is there so much controversy over the use of the term 'Maryland Man'?
This controversy has roots deeply embedded in the US political chasm. For all intents and purposes, seeing as Kilmar Garcia has lived and worked in Maryland for a number of years, he is a 'Maryland Man'. But the Left has used the term to give the impression that he is a US citizen. He is not, he is still a citizen of El Salvador, and it is fact that he entered the US illegally. So a 'Salvadorean living in Maryland' would be the best way to define him. He may have entered the country illegally but he is legally allowed to stay in the US under the witholding of removal statute, until "another country is willing to accept [him], Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may try to send [him] there instead."
Did the US government break the law by sending him back to El Salvador?
The witholding of removal specifically states that he cannot be sent back to El Salvador. The US government, however, claims that the reason for the witholding of removal (threats from the Barrio 18 gang) no longer exist. As earlier stated, there is no evidence of that.
How have the Democrats and Republicans been handling this case?
Both parties seem to be willing to die on this hill, and neither should. Democrats are planning on making a beeline to El Salvador to camp outside the notorious supermax prison in which Kilmar Garcia is being held. The problem is that the Dems have been largely -- at least publicly -- apathetic to the grief of 'angel' parents, who have had children raped and/or murdered by illegal immigrants. So this seems like a horrific case of misplaced priorities.
Also the liberal media's push to refer to Kilmar Garcia as a 'Maryland Dad' and obfuscate his legal status purposefully aims to slant the issue, which is playing right into Donald trump's narrative against that section of the media. As uncaring as this may sound, the Dems have bigger issues to focus on if they're to lay the groundwork for a big midterm showing.
For Republicans this isn't great either. There is no evidence that proves without a shadow of doubt that Kilmar Garcia was ever a card-carrying member of MS-13, nor has he ever been convicted of a crime. The guy may be a piece of work in his private life, but if the federal government deported every asshole in the country, the US would cease to exist. The Trump administration's problem is that they have already admitted Garcia was deported by mistakee due to an "administrative error". They should have facilitated and effectuated his return at the earliest and then put him on trial in the US. Now, however, it's too late and it's hard to see how the Trump administration can salvage this without either losing face or losing political capital.