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Last month’s deportation of illegal immigrant Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadorian national who had been living in Maryland, has led to a flood of controversy. While the Trump administration continues to stand firm on its decision, federal judges have rebuked them, claiming it happened illegally and their orders aren’t being followed.

“Ok, here’s what happened. The guy came into the country. He’s been in the country illegally, I think he came 11 years ago,” John Curley, host of “The John Curley Show,” said. “He’s got a job, wife, kids, everything.”

The Trump administration alleges Abrego Garcia is a member of the brutal gang MS-13, which he and his supporters deny. Nevertheless, he was deported to El Salvador, his home country. But it was done slightly prematurely, according to the administration.

The Supreme Court issued an order on April 10, 2025, directing the U.S. government to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return to the United States because of a previous lower court order keeping him from being sent back to El Salvador. The president of El Salvador indicated this week that he will not return the suspect.

“The government did violate the law. The White House did violate the law when it came to deporting him, because you can deport him, but not to El Salvador, and under what the president is using, this Alien Enemies Act, you don’t have to have due process,” Curley said. “Just grab a whole bunch of people. Oh, you’re on that team? You’ve got these tattoos? You’re a part of that group? Then you’re part of the enemy, so we don’t have to give you due process. We just grab you, sweep you, give you a haircut, and then give you the bum’s rush out of here on the first plane.”

Trump administration digs in

Federal Judge Paula Xinis was very critical of the Trump administration for not complying with a Supreme Court order that requested the White House to “facilitate” the release of Armando Abrego Garcia, 29. In response, Attorney General Pam Bondi made it clear that it’s “up to El Salvador” to remove Armando Abrego Garcia from El Salvador.

“He is not coming back to our country,” Bondi told on Wednesday.

The Trump administration agreed on a $6 million deal with El Salvador to imprison deportees it says are members of the Venezuelan MS-13 gang.

What’s next for Kilmar Abrego Garcia?

“A couple of things. First of all, really?” Curley asked rhetorically. “If the president of the United States turned to this guy, Nayib Bukele (the president of El Salvador), and he was like, ‘I need you in a bear suit on a unicycle, juggling chainsaws.’ ‘Well, I don’t think I would be able to see too well through the bear suit.’ ‘Nope, put it on, get out there, start doing it.’ The guy would do anything. Any one of these people sitting there in the White House will do whatever you want. So to be like, ‘there’s nothing I can do,’ it doesn’t make any sense. The president is saying it’s up to him. No, you’re the president. Go down to the prison and say, ‘hey, find that guy.'”

While an anonymous criminal informant said Armando Abrego Garcia was involved with the MS-13 gang, it has yet to be confirmed. He’s never been charged criminally in the U.S. or El Salvador.

“Trump got elected because he was going to close the border and stop illegal aliens from coming in here and killing people, so he if he goes and caves on this, it just gets down to, how many points does this cost him, right?” Curley said. “How long can he withstand the political, media-driven firestorm of getting this guy home? We’ve already seen the wife on television already, she’s talked about the kids. I think one kid has autism and some other disabilities or something. We’re learning all about this guy and how sad it is for him.

“If he gets killed in that prison in El Salvador, oh my God, then it’s going to be that much more difficult,” Curley added. “I think the president, at this point, is just trying to hold the line because he doesn’t want to cave on this, and is just hoping that he has enough of his populist mojo to weather this storm.”

Listen to the full conversation below.

Listen to John Curley and weekday afternoons from 3 – 7 p.m. on ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.