Appeals Court Calls Admin "Shocking"; @WhiteHouse Tweet Spreads Disinformation and Hate About Wrongfully Deported Man

Remember Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia? He's the Maryland father of three, the US government admits it illegally deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador last month, violating a judge's order that barred his removal due to fears he'd be tortured or killed there. His case has bounced all the way up to the Supreme Court, which ordered the administration to "facilitate" his return. The administration, along with Salvadoran President Bukele, has essentially refused, culminating in that bizarre Oval Office meeting earlier this week where Bukele called returning him "preposterous" with President Trump smiling beside him.

Well, today, Friday, April 18th, a federal appeals court weighed in, and they were not impressed. According to Democracy Now!, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled against the Trump administration's attempts to block further court proceedings (specifically, depositions of officials) in the case. And the language used by the court, penned by Reagan-appointed Judge Harvie Wilkinson, was scathing. He described the government's assertion of a right to "stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process" as "shocking." That's a direct, powerful condemnation from a high-level federal court about the administration's handling of this case and its apparent disregard for fundamental legal principles.

So, how did the official mouthpiece of the Presidency, the @WhiteHouse Twitter account, react to this ongoing legal and ethical firestorm surrounding Mr. Abrego Garcia? Did they offer contrition for the admitted "administrative error"? Did they signal compliance with the courts?

Of course not. Instead, they decided to engage in blatant disinformation and public mockery. As shown in an image provided from today, the official @WhiteHouse account tweeted a picture of a New York Times article about Senator Chris Van Hollen managing to meet with Mr. Abrego Garcia in El Salvador (after initially being denied prison access). But the White House didn't just share the article – they digitally doctored the headline.

The original NYT headline read: "Senator Meets With Wrongly Deported Maryland Man in El Salvador." The @WhiteHouse version crossed out "Wrongly Deported Maryland Man" and crudely scrawled in "MS-13 ILLEGAL ALIEN WHO'S NEVER COMING BACK." The tweet text itself read: "Fixed it for you, @NYTimes. Oh, and by the way, @ChrisVanHollen - he's NOT coming back."

Let's be crystal clear:

• Labeling Mr. Abrego Garcia "MS-13" directly contradicts court findings that noted he has no criminal record in the US or El Salvador, and the only basis for the gang allegation was flimsy, unsubstantiated information (related to a Chicago Bulls hat and hoodie, and a questionable informant) that a judge specifically viewed with skepticism.

• Calling him an "ILLEGAL ALIEN" ignores the fact that an immigration judge had issued a withholding order barring his removal precisely because of the danger he faced – an order the government violated.

• The declaration "WHO'S NEVER COMING BACK" is a direct, public middle finger to the ongoing judicial process, including the Supreme Court's directive and the Appeals Court's ruling today, emphasizing the need for due process.

This is absolutely staggering. The official communications channel for the President of the United States is actively spreading demonstrable falsehoods to demonize an individual the government itself admits it illegally deported. It's using the power of the White House platform not just to defy the courts, but to engage in what amounts to state-sponsored character assassination and disinformation against the victim of its own admitted error.

Juxtaposing the 4th Circuit's "shocking" condemnation of the administration's lack of due process with the @WhiteHouse account simultaneously tweeting fabricated, dehumanizing labels about the very person denied that due process... it's a level of official gaslighting and contempt for truth that is profoundly disturbing.

Forget policy debates; this is the official White House acting like a malicious internet troll, spreading lies to justify ignoring court orders and human rights concerns. It's hard to imagine a more potent or chilling Daily Dose of WTF to end the week on.

Sources:

• Democracy Now! (Reporting on 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling and Judge Wilkinson's "shocking" quote, April 18, 2025)

• @WhiteHouse Tweet (showing doctored NYT headline and accompanying text, April 18, 2025)

• The New York Times / NBC News (Context from previous reports on the Abrego Garcia case facts, lack of criminal record, flimsy gang evidence, Oval Office meeting, April 14, 2025)