(NewsNation) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s attorney, Benjamin Osorio, told “CUOMO” there is no current proof his client has any affiliation with the notorious Salvadoran gang, MS-13.
Osorio joined “CUOMO” for an exclusive live interview Tuesday night to discuss the status of his client and the likelihood of his return to the United States.
Abrego Garcia entered the United States illegally but acquired protected legal status once in the country. His wife and children all hold U.S. citizenship.
“This is an individual who’s married to a U.S. citizen, who has three U.S. citizen kids, who has no criminal record, who’s a union member and pays taxes,” Osorio said. “I thought those were the kind of people that we said that we weren’t going after.”
According to the White House and President Trump, they cannot bring Abrego Garcia back because he is a citizen of El Salvador. His home nation is presently unwilling to send him back to the U.S., and according to Abrego Garcia’s lawyer, he is residing in the infamous CECOT prison.
He is currently trying to facilitate a wellness check on Abrego Garcia by a human rights group or an imminent congressional delegation involving Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat.
Earlier Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Abrego Garcia is “a foreign terrorist and an MS-13 gang member.”
Osorio said he has seen “no evidence to date” that any of what Leavitt, President Trump or El Salvador President Nayib Bukele have said regarding the MS-13 affiliation is true.
“I did not represent him, or I should say, our team did not represent him in the original proceedings in 2019, I’ve seen those documents [and] there’s nothing in there that makes me believe that he is an MS-13 gang member,” Osorio said.
“I haven’t seen a lot of proof in court, and it’s very easy to say this stuff when you’re not under oath at a press conference, but do it in court. Do it when you have a duty of candor to the court. Do it when you’re at a risk of perjury, that’s when I believe it.”
As for ultimately getting Abrego Garcia back to his home in Maryland, Osorio believes it is possible.
“I think we get them back at some point. I think it’s in the government’s interest to avoid a constitutional crisis. I think it’s in El Salvador’s interest to avoid this. I think they don’t like the publicity on this right now. I think that’s why it’s hot,” he said.
