The Trump administration’s deportation of a Maryland father to a dangerous El Salvadoran prison due to what a federal agent said was an “administrative error” incensed Democrats on social media who argued the case with Vice President JD Vance.

Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was arrested March 12 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Agents “due to his prominent role in MS-13,” stated Robert L. Cerna, acting field office director for enforcement and removal operations at ICE’s Harlingen, Texas, field office in an affidavit in Maryland federal court Monday.

In 2019, according to Cerna’s affidavit, an immigration judge ordered Abrego Garcia to be removed from the United States, but not to El Salvador, citing a provision of immigration law that Abrego Garcia’s “life or freedom would be threatened in that country because of the alien’s race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.”

The immigration judge’s ruling meant Abrego Garcia, a native of El Salvador who has a 5-year-old disabled son with his U.S. citizen wife, had protected status in the United States, according to the Atlantic, which first reported the story.

The outlet also said Abrego Garcia was not charged with a crime following his 2019 arrest.

On March 15, 2025, Abrego Garcia was on one of the three U.S. flights that deported migrants to a dangerous El Salvadoran prison.

“This removal was an error,” Cerna stated.

But the Trump administration claimed it lacked jurisdiction to get Abrego Garcia out of the El Salvadoran prison and returned to the United States, according to the Atlantic.

Abrego Garcia’s case outraged Democrats who took to social media to express their frustration.

Jon Favreau, former head speechwriter for Barack Obama and co-host of the podcast “Pod Save America,” called out Trump administration officials and Elon Musk on X.

“Any comment on this, @marcorubio ? How about you, @JDVance? @elonmusk? You just admitted to accidentally sending an innocent father from Maryland to a torture dungeon in El Salvador. And you refuse to do anything about it,” Favreau tweeted.

“Anyone else who supports this administration have anything to say about this? Any of you Republicans? Any of you Fox News hosts or podcasters or other assorted sycophants? This is f—–monstrous,” Favreau added.

Vance responded to Favreau, saying it was “gross” that the podcaster was defending “gang members.”

“My comment is that according to the court document you apparently didn’t read he was a convicted MS-13 gang member with no legal right to be here,” the vice president tweeted. “My further comment is that it’s gross to get fired up about gang members getting deported while ignoring citizens they victimize.”

Favreau and others pointed out to Vance that the MS-13 affiliation allegations have yet to be proven.

Conor Lamb, a former Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania, accused Vance of “lying” about the case:

Other Democrats and Never Trumpers, including Tim Miller of the Bulwark, expressed their outrage over the case.

“I’m going to lose my f—— mind,” he said.