The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the Trump administration’s emergency appeal and ruled that it must facilitate the return of a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, despite a court order barring his removal. The 9-0 decision involves Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, Salvadoran national who had previously secured an immigration court ruling protecting him from deportation due to credible fears of gang-related persecution in his home country.

Why It Matters

Abrego Garcia, 29, was among the 200-plus immigrants on board two flights that made it to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) despite a judge ordering that the government halt the planes that afternoon. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) later said an “administrative error” led to the father’s deportation.

What to Know

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis had ordered the administration to return Abrego Garcia to the United States by midnight Monday, a deadline that passed after Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily paused the order to allow the Court time to review the matter.

With that pause now lifted, the justices directed Judge Xinis to clarify her directive, which called for the government to “facilitate and effectuate” his return. They also instructed the administration to disclose what efforts it has made so far and what additional steps it may take.

While the administration has acknowledged it erred in deporting Abrego Garcia, who is now detained in a notorious Salvadoran prison, officials argue they have no current means to bring him back. They have alleged ties between Abrego Garcia and the MS-13 gang—claims his lawyers say are unfounded, noting he has never been charged or convicted of any crime.

The Supreme Court’s liberal justices criticized the administration for failing to promptly correct “its egregious error” and said it was “plainly wrong” in claiming it lacked the ability to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S.

What People Are Saying

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote Thursday, joined by liberal Justices Elena Kagen and Ketanji Brown Jackson, “The Government’s argument, moreover, implies that it could deport and incarcerate any person, including U. S. citizens, without legal consequence, so long as it does so before a court can intervene.”

Judge Paula Xinis, speaking in court last week: “There is no factual basis anyone can hold Mr. Abrego Garcia. The U.S. or El Salvador.”

Jennifer Stefania Vasquez Sura, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia’s wife, at a news conference last week: “We must fight for our husbands, our children, our neighbors, our loved ones. Fight for Kilmar and fight for all the immigrant families, lighting a candle for the loved ones disappeared by this administration.”

What Happens Next

Abrego Garcia’s potential return to the U.S. could have ripple effects on the others taken to CECOT nearly three weeks ago.

Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this story.

Update: 4/10/25, 7:06 p.m. ET: This headline has been updated for clarity. The article has been updated with additional information.

Update: 4/10/25, 7:17 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and remarks.

Update: 4/10/25, 7:22 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and remarks.