St. Paul protesters rally for Maryland man mistakenly deported
Trump officials face contempt of court for deported man
Protesters in St. Paul gathered at the El Salvadorian consulate as a federal judge says Trump administration officials could face contempt of court charges over ignoring an order to stop sending migrants to El Salvador. FOX 9's Mike Manzoni has the full report.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Trump administration admits it mistakenly deported a Maryland man who it claims is a gang member.
Trump administration wrongfully deports Maryland man
The backstory:
The Trump administration conceded that it mistakenly deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who is from El Salvador.
His deportation, which happened in March, prompted the Supreme Court to order his return, something that the administration said it cannot do.
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the administration to explain why it had not complied with the high court’s order.
Who is Kilmar Abrego Garcia:
Federal authorities first detained him in 2019 after an informant identified him as a gang member.
An immigration court judge later stopped the government from deporting him to El Salvador, citing concerns that he could be a target of gangs there.
In March, federal authorities detained him again, eventually deporting him.
He is now held in a notorious prison in El Salvador that has been accused of human rights abuses.
Protesters rally in St. Paul, call for deported Maryland man’s return
Hands Off protest at El Salvadorian consulate in St. Paul [RAW]
Protesters with the Hands Off Coalition of Indivisible Twin Cities and Women's March MN are set to protest outside the El Salvadoran Consulate in St. Paul at 3 p.m. Thursday. The organization says it wants to "support those who have been arrested without due process, sent to the notorious CECOT prison in El Salvador."
What happened:
Dozens of protesters rallied outside the El Salvador Consulate in St. Paul on Wednesday, calling for the return of Abrego Garcia.
Protesters expressed concerns over the rule of law.
What they're saying:
"Nobody should be sent to any prison before they’ve been accused of anything, so I guess that’s the bottom line," said Mindy Lee, a Maple Grove resident. "I feel like this is kind of — this is the Constitution. We either have it or we don’t…."
Others echoed that sentiment.
"They’re not paying any attention — not paying any attention to the rule of law and the Constitution...." said Jane Harper of Minneapolis.
What's next:
A federal judge has ordered the administration to provide sworn testimony on its failure to comply with an order to return Abrego Garcia.