The statement, "He entered this country illegally, He was denied asylum in 2019. Go back and come back the legal way," is only partially accurate and omits key context regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia's case.
**What is accurate:**
- **Entry:** Kilmar Abrego Garcia did enter the United States illegally around 2011[3][8][6].
- **Asylum Denial:** In 2019, an immigration judge denied his application for asylum because he did not file within the required one-year period after arrival[3][8].
**What is misleading or inaccurate:**
- **Legal Status Since 2019:** Although his asylum request was denied, the same immigration judge granted Garcia "withholding of removal" status in 2019[8][6]. This is a form of legal protection that allows someone to remain in the U.S. if they would likely face persecution or harm in their home country. This status made his presence in the U.S. legal, and he was issued a work permit. He lived and worked legally in Maryland from 2019 until his mistaken deportation in 2025[8][6].
- **Deportation Error:** Garcia was not deported as a routine consequence of his denied asylum. He was mistakenly deported in March 2025 despite the judge's order protecting him from removal to El Salvador[1][6][8]. The U.S. government has acknowledged this was an "administrative error"[1][6][8].
- **"Go back and come back the legal way":** This advice ignores the fact that Garcia was already granted legal protection to remain in the U.S. due to the risk of harm if returned to El Salvador. He was not simply someone without legal status; he was a legal resident under a specific immigration protection[8][6].
**Key Context**
- Garcia was never charged with a crime in the U.S. or El Salvador, despite government claims of gang affiliation, which his attorneys and a judge found unsubstantiated[3][8].
- He was married, had U.S. citizen children, and complied with all legal requirements during his protected status[8].
- The Supreme Court ordered the U.S. government to facilitate his return after the wrongful deportation[1][3][4][5].
**Conclusion**
The statement omits the crucial fact that Garcia was legally protected from deportation and was only sent to El Salvador due to a government mistake, not because he had no legal right to remain in the U.S. after 2019[8][6][1].
Citations:
[1] abcnews.go.com
[2] www.usatoday.com
[3] time.com
[4] www.bbc.com
[5] www.nbcnews.com
[6] www.usatoday.com
[7] www.axios.com
[8] en.wikipedia.org
[9] www.reuters.com
