1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

The ongoing situation regarding the imprisonment of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and others at El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) is deeply concerning. Not only does it represent a flagrant violation of human rights, but it also undermines the rule of law and the separation of powers fundamental to our democracy. The fact that President Trump is unable or unwilling to secure the release of a Maryland resident despite a Supreme Court order is an egregious abuse of power. He has legal status, but even if he was undocumented, subjecting him to such inhumane treatment is unacceptable and undermines the principles of justice and equality under the law that our nation was founded upon. We cannot stand by while nonviolent immigrants are imprisoned under deplorable conditions in foreign countries they have no connection to. This egregious abuse of power by immigration authorities must be condemned, and immediate action should be taken to secure the safe return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Merwil Gutiérrez, and others wrongfully deported. Allowing such transgressions to continue unchecked erodes the moral fabric of our society. It sets a dangerous precedent where the executive branch can simply ignore judicial rulings at its convenience. This disregard for the constitutional system of checks and balances is unacceptable and a threat to our democratic institutions. Moreover, the existence of CECOT itself, where individuals are held without due process or access to legal recourse, is a stain on our nation's values. The imprisonment of individuals like Merwil Gutiérrez, who had no criminal record and was not even a target of the deportation operation, is unconscionable. It is imperative that Congress take immediate action to hold the administration accountable and demand the safe return of all those unjustly detained at CECOT. The inability of the United States to negotiate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legal US resident, from the deplorable conditions of the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador, a country that receives $6 million annually from the U.S. to imprison people, projects an image of weakness on the global stage. It is paradoxical that the Trump administration can readily withhold funds from educational institutions over ideological disagreements, yet fails to leverage its financial contributions to demand the release of individuals unjustly detained and subiected to harm as a direct consequence of its policies. This stark contrast underscores the administration's skewed priorities and disregard for human lives.