Since the day it was reported Kilmar Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador’s maximum security prison, there have been calls for him to be put on a plane and flown back to his wife and children in Maryland. The White House is now disclosing its evidence to try to show why he can’t even be trusted to step foot on American soil again. 

The new public campaign against the deportee includes extensive details about an arrest outside a Home Depot in 2019, accusations of gang affiliation going back years, a judge denying bond, and allegations that he beat his wife on two occasions in 2021. 

Abrego’s 2019 Arrest

Mr. Abrego was first accused of gang affiliation because of his tattoos and a 2019 allegation that he was an MS-13 leader on Long Island, though he has never lived in that area. He had been picked up outside of a Home Depot at Hyattsville, Maryland while loitering in the parking lot, looking for day work with three other men. One of those other men said Mr. Abrego was a gang member. 

As officers approached the four men, police say some of the would-be day laborers took unknown items out of their waistbands and discarded them under a nearby parked car. Plastic bottles with marijuana inside of them were later found at the scene, police said. 

With Mr. Abrego was another accused member of MS-13, Christhyan Hernandez-Romero, whose street name was “Bimbo.” Police say he had “extensive criminal history for multiple assaults, concealing dangerous weapons, burglary, and many other criminal offenses.” Another man with Messrs. Abrego and Hernandez was Jose Dominguez, whom police believed was a gang member due to tattoos he had over his eyes, ears, and mouth. 

“Officers then interviewed Kilmar Armando ABREGO-GARCIA. During the interview officers observed he was wearing a Chicago Bulls hat and a hoodie with rolls of money covering the eyes, ears and mouth of the presidents on the separate denominations,” the police wrote in their report at the time. “Officers know such clothing to be indicative of the Hispanic gang culture.”

“The meaning of the clothing is to represent ‘ver, oir y caliar’ or ‘see no evil, hear no evil and say no evil,’” the report says. “Wearing the Chicago Bulls hat represents that they are a member in good standing with the MS-13.”

“The subjects freely admitted being citizens and nationals of El Salvador by birth and that they were present in the United States illegally. The subjects were not in possession of any immigration documents that would allow them to be in or remain in the United States legally,” the report says. 

According to the source that spoke with officers, Mr. Abrego was the rank of “Chequeo,” and his street name was “Chele.” When he was picked up, he had more than $1,100 in his pocket. He was later denied bail by a judge because of law enforcement’s accusations that he was a gang member. 

Police said in their report that they believe it is typical MS-13 practice for members to only spend time with other members. “MS-13 gang members are only allowed to hang around other members or prospects for the gang,” the police wrote in their statement, leading them to believe Mr. Abrego was a part of the crew.

Allegations of Domestic Violence

When the Supreme Court ruled that Mr. Abrego’s return must be “facilitated” by the government, White House officials dug in further, saying that they will deport him at any cost. They say new evidence related to domestic abuse allegations require him to be kept in El Salvador. 

The administration released details on Wednesday about his 2019 arrest while in the country illegally, which included a judge’s order to not grant bail because of the gang affiliation accusations. On Wednesday, the administration went further by releasing a restraining order granted by police for his wife because Mr. Abrego had allegedly beaten her on two different occasions in 2021. 

“RESPONDENT PUNCHED AND SCRATCHED PETITIONER, RIPPED OFF SHIRT, GRABBED AND BRUISED PETITIONER,” the protective order states. The police say Mr. Abrego’s two attacks on his wife occurred in May 2021. 

“The court lawfully can order respondent to vacate the home immediately, and award temporary use and possession of the home to the person eligible for relief,” they write. ”The respondent SHALL NOT abuse, threaten to abuse JENNIFER VASQUEZ.”

Mr. Abrego has lived in Maryland with his wife since 2019, and they have one child together. They are also raising two of Ms. Vasquez’s children from a previous relationship. All three of the children have special needs. 

Growing Up in San Salvador

Mr. Abrego was first swept up in the first round of deportees being sent to the El Salvadoran prison known as CECOT back in March, when his car was stopped by immigration officials as he was leaving his grandmother’s house with his son at Beltsville, Maryland. He was sent to the El Salvadoran prison known as CECOT, and the administration’s first explanation for why he was taken was his tattoos. They wouldn’t say exactly what tattoos prompted them to believe he was a member of MS-13, however. Officials simply said they had the intelligence to prove that he was in the gang. 

He fled El Salvador at the age of 16 after a local gang at San Salvador tried to recruit him to join their ranks. For years, they had terrorized his family and their business where his mother sold pupusas. His older brother was shipped off to the United States to avoid gang violence, leading the gang in question — Barrio 18 — to target Mr. Abrego before the family was forced to move away. 

Still, the gang followed them, according to court records. They threatened to rape his younger sisters if he did not join or his father did not pay off the criminals. After Mr. Abrego was sent to live in the United States by his family, his mother, father, and sisters moved to the neighboring country of Guatemala, though gangs continued to harass them there.