“How can I return him to the United States? I smuggle him into the United States? Of course I’m not going to do it. The question is preposterous,” Bukele said. “I don’t have the power to return him to the United States. We’re not very fond of releasing terrorists into our country.”
"To liberate 350 million people, you have to imprison some. That’s the way it works,” Bukele told Trump. Abrego Garcia has not been charged with terrorism.
Archived at https://archive.is/w3Vyt
This destroys their earlier argument that they don’t have jurisdiction and interpret the ruling to only require them to remove US barriers to his return, not actually make it happen. Here’s the guy they claim has jurisdiction saying the only reason he won’t send him home is because he can’t make the US accept him.
The court needs to make a concrete order immediately that they shall accept him back, pay for any travel expenses, and cease payment for his incarceration. And until they demonstrate that they have a method to fix mistakes, bar any further transfers.
I can promise you this quote is going to be in Abrego Garcia’s next court filing.
I actually already have a copy of the DOJs response to that filing:
🖕
Update: I was expecting the plaintiff to use this Bukele quote, because it’s pretty good for him.
But instead it’s the Government that filed it!
At this point I utterly fail to understand their litigation strategy.