Administration persists in disseminating details, portraying Abrego Garcia as a violent gang associate, amid escalating protests against deportation
A hot mess erupted this week as the Trump administration ramped up their smear campaign against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man wrongfully deported to El Salvador. They're driving home the narrative that Garcia is a brutal member of MS-13, a gang with a bloody history, and that he ain't coming back to the States.
But it's all burning rhetoric against the increasing public outcry for Garcia's release, criticism over due process, and the U.S. government's intention to escalate a constitutional crisis by resisting his court-mandated return. Garcia's family and lawyers claim he's clean of any gang involvement.
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland jetted off to El Salvador to pressure for Garcia's release, describing him as an illegally abducted constituent. Van Hollen met with Garcia on Thursday and, what do ya know, the senator's efforts were met with brassy criticism from the Trump administration.
The White House has bashed the media and Democrats for presenting an overly-rosy picture of Garcia. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt labeled him a gang member and "apparent woman beater."
The administration dropped some documents from Garcia's past dealings with law enforcement: a 2019 arrest without charges or conviction, yet resulting in his detention by immigration officials, and a 2021 protective order filed by his wife, which she later abandoned after resolving their issues.
Here's a rundown of Garcia's previous encounters with law enforcement:
2019 arrest and immigration hearings
On March 28, 2019, Garcia and three other men were hanging out in a Home Depot parking lot when approached by a Hyattsville City Police detective. According to a Prince George's County Police Department document, one of the men discarded some items under a parked vehicle, while two "small plastic bottles containing marijuana" were found nearby. All the men were hauled in for questioning, during which one of the other three guys was recognized as an active MS-13 member with a rap sheet, and another had tattoos associated with the gang.
Garcia, in the documents, donned a Chicago Bulls hat and a hoodie emblazoned with money-lined eyes, ears, and mouths, suspect symbols of gang culture. Another informant told cops Garcia was an active member of MS-13's Westerns clique. However, surrounding the arrest, there's contradictory information. Garcia told the officers he was scared to return to his country, but the report indicates he also claimed he wasn't afraid.
After the arrest, his now-wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, hired a lawyer to get him out on bond. The pair married in 2019, while Garcia was locked up. During immigration hearings in August and September 2019, Garcia was accused of being a gang member, but the judge found his testimony internally and externally consistent and didn't find him guilty of any membership. The judge granted him withholding of removal, preventing removal over fear of persecution.
2021 protective order
In the 2021 complaint, Garcia's wife painted a picture of domestic arguments, including one that left her bruised and scared. But Garcia's lawyers deny any gang ties, insisting that he's an innocent man caught in the crosshairs of politically-motivated character attacks.
CNN's Priscilla Alvarez and Evan Perez contributed.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a Maryland man who found himself in a quagmire this week, embroiled in controversy after being wrongfully deported to El Salvador in March 2025 due to a bureaucratic blunder by U.S. immigration authorities. He had lived in Baltimore with his wife and child, both U.S. citizens, and had no criminal record. In U.S. immigration court, an immigration judge had previously granted him withholding of removal (protection from deportation) and a work permit, recognizing that he faced a "clear probability of future persecution" in El Salvador and that Salvadoran authorities were unable or unwilling to protect him. Despite this, ICE deported him to El Salvador, where he was initially placed in a Salvadoran supermax prison called CECOT, a highly restrictive facility.
The U.S. government admitted in court filings that the deportation was an "administrative error" but did not act promptly to rectify it, instead dismissing it as an "oversight." After deportation, Garcia was moved to a detention center in Santa Ana, which he described as having better conditions, but he has had no communication with the outside world, including his family.
Regarding allegations of gang membership, the Trump administration and the Department of Justice have portrayed Garcia as a member of the violent MS-13 gang. DOJ officials released documents allegedly showing connections between Garcia and MS-13, including a 2019 incident where he was detained with known gang members and allegedly wore clothing associated with MS-13 symbolism (such as a Chicago Bulls hat and hoodie representing the gang's credo "see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil"). The documents also reference a domestic violence restraining order filed by his wife alleging abuse. However, Garcia's lawyers deny any gang affiliation. In summary:
| Aspect | Details ||------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|| Deportation | Occurred March 15, 2025, due to administrative error despite legal protection from removal orders; deported to El Salvador and imprisoned. || Legal proceedings | Immigration judge had granted withholding of removal because of threats in El Salvador; U.S. government admitted mistake but has not rectified it. || Treatment in prison | Initially held in CECOT supermax prison, then transferred to another detention center; no contact with family or outside world reported. || Allegations by DOJ | Accused of MS-13 membership based on court-released documents; DOJ cites clothing symbolism, association with gang members, and domestic violence claims. || Defense by Abrego Garcia | Denies any gang ties; maintains innocence and non-violent identity. |
These details highlight a case of a mistaken deportation involving a man portrayed by the government as a violent gang member, while he was legally protected from removal and is currently detained under harsh conditions abroad.
- The Trump administration's smear campaign against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man wrongfully deported to El Salvador, escalated as they labeled him a gang member and "apparent woman beater."
- In Garcia's case, the Trump administration and Department of Justice have accused him of MS-13 membership, citing incidents like a 2019 arrest, his clothing, association with known gang members, and domestic violence claims.
- Garcia's lawyers vehemently deny any gang affiliation and insist he is an innocent man caught in politically-motivated character attacks.
- Despite being previously granted withholding of removal by an immigration judge due to fears of persecution in El Salvador, Garcia was deported to the country in March 2025 due to an administrative error, and he has had no contact with the outside world since.
