Thousands of protesters marched from the Washington Monument to the White House in D.C. on Saturday, rallying in support of Kilmar Abrego Garcia — the Maryland resident who was mistakenly deported by President Donald Trump’s administration last month.
Abrego Garcia, who U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials conceded was removed from the country due to an “administrative error” in a March 31 court filing, had been residing in the United States under protected status since 2019 after a judge concluded he would likely be targeted by Salvadoran gangs if sent back. Abrego Garcia, a father of three, was living in Beltsville with his wife, Jennifer — an American citizen — at the time of his deportation.
Last week, the Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to work to bring Abrego Garcia back to the U.S. but Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wednesday that he “is not coming back to our country.”
“If the Supreme Court can be defied, then our democracy has died,” said Mike, a local resident who joined the rally.
Administration officials and congressional Republicans argue that Abrego Garcia is affiliated with the MS-13 gang; however, he has not been charged with any gang-related crimes.
Andy Zee, who organized Saturday’s march, says he believes Abrego Garcia was deported “on the basis of having tattoos.”
The constitutional principles at the heart of Abrego Garcia’s case were top of mind for many protesters.
“I’ve seen what happens when a fascist regime takes over and I do not want to see that happen here,” said Nejla Solano of Baltimore, an Iranian-American who donned a burning Lady Liberty costume at the protest.
She expressed concern about her own legal status, given her participation in the march: “I am not going to shut up. I’m going to use my free speech. Apparently, that’s a problem with this administration.”
The rally drew Americans who haven’t taken to the streets in decades.
“I haven’t protested since Vietnam, but I’m out here protesting now,” said Mary, a Baltimore resident. “Our rule of law means nothing. We can be snatched off the street in a minute, and who would know?”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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