Mistakenly deported Abrego Garcia details beatings and psychological torture in Salvadoran prison

Mistakenly deported Maryland man Kilmar Abrego Garcia said he suffered physical and psychological abuse in the Salvadoran prison where he was detained.

The Trump administration deported Abrego Garcia to El Salvador on March 15, and he was held in the country’s maximum security CECOT facility, with the administration describing his deportation as an “administrative error.”

Abrego Garcia said he endured severe beatings, sleep deprivation, and psychological torture during his time at the prison, saying he was kicked and hit so often right after arrival that by the following day, he had visible bruises and lumps all over his body.

In new court documents, Abrego Garcia said detainees at CECOT “were confined to metal bunks with no mattresses in an overcrowded cell with no windows, bright lights that remained on 24 hours a day, and minimal access to sanitation.” He also detailed that prison officials told him they would transfer him to cells with gang members who would “tear” him apart. He added that he often saw and heard people being hurt throughout the night.