On April 16, 2025, former Florida Attorney General and current Trump Administration figurehead Pam Bondi publicly repeated a claim that Kilmar Abrego Garcia—a Maryland father wrongfully deported to El Salvador—was a member of MS-13. Bondi made this statement in response to a journalist’s inquiry asking her to present evidence. She offered none. That is because there is no such evidence. Not only has no judge ever ruled that Abrego Garcia was part of the violent gang, but the record clearly contradicts any such claim. Bondi’s continued assertion is not only false—it is politically dangerous and legally negligent.

Multiple federal court rulings have affirmed that Kilmar Abrego Garcia was wrongfully deported, in defiance of due process and in violation of existing judicial orders. The United States Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling that his deportation was unlawful and that the government must make immediate efforts to bring him back (Supreme Court of the United States, 2025). This unprecedented ruling clarified that even individuals who have not yet secured full citizenship remain entitled to constitutional protections once inside the United States. But in an administration increasingly allergic to truth, this judicial rebuke appears to carry no weight.

The propaganda framing Abrego Garcia as MS-13 is not rooted in law but in a fear-driven narrative designed to justify authoritarian overreach. Immigration judges had previously granted him “withholding of removal,” a rare but lawful form of relief available to individuals who face a high likelihood of persecution or death if returned to their country of origin. The reason? El Salvador’s government has failed to curb violence from criminal organizations, and Abrego Garcia was considered particularly vulnerable. He was a cooperating witness in a drug trafficking investigation involving violent actors in Maryland, putting a target on his back—yet not a single charge has ever linked him to a criminal enterprise himself (United States Department of Justice, 2024).

Bondi’s April 2025 claim adds to a long list of deceptive or politically expedient statements she has made over the years. Her track record includes pushing discredited voter fraud theories in 2020, defending policies that targeted LGBTQ+ youth during her tenure as Florida AG, and falsely claiming that Floridians “overwhelmingly support” bans on gender-affirming care (Human Rights Campaign, 2023). Each time, Bondi has framed her statements as concern for public safety or family values, while ignoring factual and legal realities.

Take her repeated insistence that the 2020 election was compromised by fraud. As a member of President Trump’s legal team, Bondi appeared on Fox News in late 2020 pushing conspiracy theories about voting irregularities in Pennsylvania—none of which were substantiated in court (Bump, 2021). In fact, dozens of courts rejected these claims, and multiple Trump-appointed judges wrote scathing opinions criticizing the lack of evidence. Yet Bondi, ever the loyalist, persisted in fanning the flames.

Her actions echo the very tactics that now define the Trump Administration’s second term: lying boldly, often, and without shame. These are not harmless missteps. Bondi’s public statements lend legitimacy to extrajudicial actions, like deporting someone in defiance of court orders. They fuel policies rooted in fiction rather than fact, endangering lives and weakening the rule of law.

The damage is not limited to one individual. By falsely tying Abrego Garcia to MS-13, Bondi and others invoke a broader narrative that equates Latin American immigrants with violent crime. This racist dog whistle has been debunked repeatedly. A 2021 study by the Cato Institute found that immigrants—regardless of legal status—are less likely to commit crimes than native-born citizens (Nowrasteh & Forrester, 2021). Yet Trump allies like Bondi continue to perpetuate the myth because it serves a political purpose: it dehumanizes and vilifies nonwhite immigrants, rallying a base that thrives on fear.

What makes Bondi’s latest lie particularly egregious is the context. Kilmar Abrego Garcia is not a shadowy figure. He is a father of three, a long-time Maryland resident, and a contributor to his community. The U.S. government’s own records describe him as compliant, nonviolent, and cooperative in legal matters. His case drew national attention after it was revealed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported him despite a federal injunction barring removal (Baltimore Sun, 2025).

Bondi’s rhetoric not only contradicts court rulings—it creates real harm. It puts Abrego Garcia’s life in further danger in El Salvador, a country where gang violence is deeply embedded in the criminal justice system and where false accusations can lead to immediate execution. It justifies lawlessness under the guise of law enforcement. And it signals to millions of Americans that judicial decisions no longer matter if they contradict the administration’s chosen story.

This is not the first time Bondi has twisted facts to suit a narrative. In 2013, she was criticized for delaying an execution in Florida so she could attend a political fundraiser—an incident for which she later apologized, but not before public outrage mounted (CBS News, 2013). In 2016, she came under scrutiny for accepting a $25,000 donation from the Trump Foundation while her office was reportedly considering joining a fraud investigation into Trump University (New York Times, 2016). She declined to pursue the case.

Patterns matter. Bondi’s pattern is one of disinformation wrapped in the language of patriotism. Her political strategy is clear: never admit error, deny inconvenient facts, and punish the vulnerable. In this way, she mirrors the worst tendencies of Trumpism—an authoritarian mindset cloaked in nationalistic rhetoric, dismissive of truth, and hostile to accountability.

Americans deserve better from their public officials. They deserve honesty, respect for the judiciary, and a baseline commitment to evidence over ideology. When government leaders lie—repeatedly, boldly, and without remorse—the cost is more than political. It is human. Kilmar Abrego Garcia is not a criminal. He is not MS-13. He is a victim of a lie, a scapegoat for an administration eager to distract from its own illegalities by manufacturing villains.

Pam Bondi may never apologize. The Trump Administration may never admit fault. But the record is clear—and the people must make sure it stays that way.

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References

Baltimore Sun. (2025, April 15). Kilmar Abrego Garcia updates: What we know about the wrongful deportation case. https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/04/15/kilmar-abrego-garcia-updates-what-we-know

Bump, P. (2021, January 15). Why Pam Bondi’s election fraud claims were misleading and dangerous. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com

CBS News. (2013, September 11). Pam Bondi delayed Florida execution for fundraiser. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pam-bondi-delayed-florida-execution-for-fundraiser

Human Rights Campaign. (2023). Fact-checking anti-trans claims made by AGs and governors. https://www.hrc.org/resources/transgender-facts

Nowrasteh, A., & Forrester, C. (2021). Criminal Immigrants in Texas: Illegal immigrants, crime, and incarceration. Cato Institute. https://www.cato.org/publications

Supreme Court of the United States. (2025). U.S. v. Abrego Garcia, 598 U.S. __ (2025).

United States Department of Justice. (2024). Maryland Drug Task Force annual report. https://www.justice.gov/usao-md

New York Times. (2016, September 14). Pam Bondi, Trump Foundation and a dropped fraud case. https://www.nytimes.com