Schatz Statement On Trump Administration’s Refusal To Return Wrongfully Deported Maryland Man

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement after President Donald Trump and top administration officials refused to comply with a Supreme Court order to help return Kilmar Abrego Garcia who the Justice Department has admitted to mistakenly deporting to El Salvador.

“President Donald Trump and Secretary Marco Rubio need to start following the law – now. They are knowingly violating the law by denying people due process and disappearing them to foreign prisons without any evidence of criminal behavior. The Supreme Court was clear and unanimous: the administration must help bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia who was deported on fabricated charges.”

“The Trump administration’s recklessness and lawlessness is risking lives, while also threatening our national security, the rule of law, and our reputation as a country that people want to come to – as visitors, as scholars, as essential workers – seeking better lives. The American system is not a free-for-all; our laws still matter; and this administration is not uniquely immune to the legal, political, and human consequences of its actions.

“Congress will continue to conduct rigorous oversight and exert our authority through the appropriations process. In the meantime, I expect to hear from Secretary Rubio directly on how he intends to facilitate Mr. Garcia’s return, end the illegal deportations, and bring his department into compliance with the law, both as it relates to immigration policy as well as the ongoing evisceration of American foreign assistance. This lawless rampage cannot continue.”

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