Vance Defends Deporting Maryland Father to El Salvador Prison Despite Trump Admin Admitting 'Error'

Vice President JD Vance defended the deportation of a Maryland father to a high-security prison in El Salvador, despite the Trump administration admitting the removal was an "administrative error."

Kilmer Armado Abrego-Garcia, a 30-year-old Salvadoran man with a U.S. citizen wife and child, was deported on March 15 despite having a protected legal status that should have prevented his removal, The Atlantic reported. His lawyers argue that the government wrongly labeled him as an MS-13 gang member based on unverified claims from a 2019 informant, despite a judge ruling that he could face danger if deported.

On Monday, Robert L. Cerna, acting field office director for ICE, admitted in a sworn declaration that Abrego-Garcia's deportation was an error, but the government argued that because he is no longer in U.S. custody, the court cannot order his return.

"Abrego-Garcia, a native and citizen of El Salvador, was on the third flight and thus had his removal order to El Salvador executed. This removal was an error," Cerna said, as reported by ABC News.

The admission sparked criticism from legal experts and activists, who called it a blatant miscarriage of justice. When pressed about the case, Vance dismissed concerns, arguing that the U.S. should not be "fired up" about deporting suspected gang members. He incorrectly stated that Abrego-Garcia was a "convicted" MS-13 member, despite no record of such a conviction.

"My comment is that according to the court document you apparently didn't read he was a convicted MS-13 gang member with no legal right to be here," Vance wrote on X. "My further comment is that it's gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimize."

Abrego-Garcia remains imprisoned at El Salvador's CECOT megaprison, a facility notorious for its harsh conditions. His legal team is fighting for his return to the U.S., but the administration insists courts lack the authority to intervene.

Meanwhile, ICE's mass deportations continue, with more than 28,000 individuals being deported during the first seven weeks of the administration.