The White House stated that the Trump administration was complying with all court orders directed to them despite refusing to return a Maryland man who was wrongfully deported last month.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a journalist that the White House had been complying with all deportation related court orders it had received.
"How concerned is the President that a federal judge could hold a Trump administration official in contempt of court for defying deportation orders?" asked one journalist at the afternoon briefing.
"We are complying with all court orders, so I see what you're trying to do there with that question but we're very confident that every action taken by this administration is within the confines of the law," Leavitt responded. "We will continue to comply with the court's orders and you have seen that. The President made that clear yesterday in the Oval Office with President Bukele."
Leavitt: We are complying with all court orders… you have seen that pic.twitter.com/jsZitWUC7L
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 15, 2025
Abrego Garcia was wrongfully deported on March 15 despite being given protected status by a US immigration judge. The Supreme Court unanimously voted to order the Trump administration to "facilitate" Garcia's release from high-security El Salvadoran prison CECOT.
However, both Trump and El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele have indicated that they have no intention of returning Garcia to the US. The two world leaders met in the Oval Office on Monday, where Bukele was asked if he would assist with Garcia's return.
"How can I return him to the United States? Like if I smuggle him into the United States?" Bukele responded. "Of course I'm not going to do it. The question is preposterous."
Though administration officials have acknowledged that Garcia's deportation was due to an administrative error, they have stated that they will not attempt to bring him back to the country.
"DHS does not have authority to forcibly extract an alien from the domestic custody of a foreign sovereign nation," acting general counsel of the Department of Homeland Security Joseph Mazzara wrote in a declaration.
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