Busted: Trump admin eyed fabricating MS-13 'leader' label to justify wrongful deportation
Source: Raw Story
May 21, 2025 7:57PM ET
Officials in the Trump administration debated fabricating a claim that wrongly-deported Maryland family man Kilmar Abrego Garcia was a "leader" in the transnational MS-13 criminal gang to justify his continued incarceration in the infamous Salvadoran CECOT megaprison outside the United States, reported The New York Times on Wednesday.
This, reported Hamed Aleaziz and Alan Feuer, came in spite of the fact that federal officials already knew he had been deported in error and in violation of a court order.
"In the days before the government’s error became public, D.H.S. officials discussed trying to portray Mr. Abrego Garcia as a 'leader' of the violent street gang MS-13, even though they could find no evidence to support the claim," said the report. Additionally, "they considered ways to nullify the original order that barred his deportation to El Salvador" and strategized on how to "downplay the danger he might face in one of that country’s most notorious prisons."
Furthermore, according to the report, "a senior Justice Department lawyer, Erez Reuveni, who counseled bringing Mr. Abrego Garcia back to the United States, was fired for what Attorney General Pam Bondi said was a failure to 'zealously advocate on behalf of the United States.'"
Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/kilmar-abrego-garcia-2672182717/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Kick in to the DU tip jar?
This week we're running a special pop-up mini fund drive. From Monday through Friday we're going ad-free for all registered members, and we're asking you to kick in to the DU tip jar to support the site and keep us financially healthy.
As a bonus, making a contribution will allow you to leave kudos for another DU member, and at the end of the week we'll recognize the DUers who you think make this community great.