Despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling mandating his return, top advisers to President Donald Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said Monday there is no legal basis to send Kilmar Abrego Garcia—wrongly deported last month—back to the United States

The Trump administration and the government of El Salvador have pushed back against returning Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported and sent to a high-security gang prison in El Salvador.

U.S. officials underscored that Abrego Garcia is a Salvadoran citizen and that Washington has no jurisdiction over his repatriation. President Bukele, whose cooperation has been key to Trump’s deportation agenda, said he lacked the authority to return the man to the U.S.

“I do not have the power to return him to the United States,” Bukele stated, despite mounting pressure following the Supreme Court's directive.

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration must “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return, labeling his removal as unlawful. The decision has fueled controversy over the administration’s deportation policies and its handling of immigration-related legal errors.

Human rights groups and immigration advocates have called for immediate action to comply with the court’s order, citing serious risks to Abrego Garcia’s safety and well-being in the gang-dominated prison where he is currently held.

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