DOJ Releases MS-13 Evidence in Contested Deportation Case

The Department of Justice has released documents they claim definitively prove Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, whose deportation has sparked a constitutional showdown, is a member of the notorious MS-13 gang. Attorney General Pam Bondi unveiled the evidence Wednesday amid escalating tensions between the judicial and executive branches over Abrego-Garcia’s controversial removal to El Salvador last month.

The documents date back to March 2019 when Abrego-Garcia was detained outside a Hyattsville Home Depot alongside other suspected gang members. According to WMAR2 News, Prince George’s County Police Gang Unit detectives noted Abrego-Garcia possessed rolls of money with the eyes, ears, and mouth of U.S. Presidents covered – symbolism they associate with the gang’s “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” credo.

Detectives also documented his Chicago Bulls apparel, which they claim “represents that they are a member in good standing with the MS-13.” A confidential informant reportedly identified Abrego-Garcia as a member of the gang’s “Westerns Clique” chapter, holding the rank of “Chequeo” with the moniker “Chele.”

DHS photo by Tia Dufour/WikimediaCommons

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Dueling Narratives: Gang Member or Family Man?

The evidence release comes as the administration faces mounting judicial pressure to return Abrego-Garcia to the United States following what officials have acknowledged was an administrative error in his deportation. Despite a 2019 immigration court ruling that barred Abrego-Garcia’s return to El Salvador over potential safety concerns, he was sent to the Central American nation last month.

Abrego-Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, an American citizen, has filed suit against the federal government seeking her husband’s return. She maintains he has no gang affiliations and characterizes him as a devoted family man wrongfully separated from their child, who is also a U.S. citizen.

The Trump administration has painted a starkly different picture, with Bondi telling Fox News that “America is safer because he is gone,” and “that woman that he is married to and that child he had with her, they are safer tonight because he is out of our country,” according to New York Post.

Domestic Violence Allegations Surface

Adding another layer to the complex case, the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday released a 2021 protective order that Vasquez filed against Abrego-Garcia. The petition details allegations that he punched and scratched her during a domestic incident that occurred in front of their then-infant child.

Vasquez has since responded that she sought protection “acting out of caution after a disagreement” due to previous domestic abuse in another relationship. She stated the matter was resolved privately through counseling, the case was dismissed when she didn’t appear for the final hearing, and “our marriage only grew stronger in the years that followed.”

Immigration advocates argue the administration is selectively highlighting information to justify its refusal to comply with court orders directing Abrego-Garcia’s return, despite acknowledging he was improperly deported.

Constitutional Collision Course

The case has evolved into a significant separation of powers conflict, with federal judges issuing increasingly forceful orders for the administration to secure Abrego-Garcia’s return. The Supreme Court has ruled the government must “facilitate his release,” but disputes continue over what that precisely requires.

A three-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, consisting of appointees from Presidents Reagan, Clinton, and Obama, warned in their latest order that the executive and judicial branches are getting “too close to grinding irrevocably against one another in a conflict that promises to diminish both.”

Judge Paula Xinis has ordered government officials to submit sworn depositions explaining steps taken to secure Abrego-Garcia’s return. The administration contends he cannot be returned because he is now in El Salvador’s custody at their notorious megaprison, while claiming he represents a threat to public safety.

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) traveled to El Salvador Wednesday to advocate for Abrego-Garcia’s release but was denied authorization to visit or speak with him by El Salvador’s Vice President Felix Ulloa, underscoring the international complications now entangling the case.

As litigation continues, the case highlights tensions between immigration enforcement priorities, judicial authority, and executive power that will likely shape immigration policy debates throughout the current administration.

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