On April 18, 2025, President Donald Trump posted a photo on his social media platform, Truth Social, claiming it depicted the knuckle tattoos of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Maryland resident who was deported to El Salvador in March. The image showed the letters “MS-13” tattooed across a man’s knuckles, which Trump asserted as evidence of Garcia’s affiliation with the notorious gang.
In his post, Trump criticized Democrats for advocating Garcia’s return to the U.S., stating:
“This is the hand of the man that the Democrats feel should be brought back to the United States, because he is such ‘a fine and innocent person.’ They said he is not a member of MS-13, even though he’s got MS-13 tattooed onto his knuckles, and two Highly Respected Courts found that he was a member of MS-13, beat up his wife, etc. I was elected to take bad people out of the United States, among other things. I must be allowed to do my job. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
However, the authenticity of the photo has been questioned. Critics, including tech experts and political opponents, suggest the image may have been digitally manipulated. Notably, court documents related to Garcia’s case do not reference any tattoos as evidence of gang affiliation.
Garcia’s deportation has been a subject of legal and political controversy. Despite a court order preventing his removal, he was deported to El Salvador, where he is currently detained. His legal team argues that the deportation violated U.S. law, and the Supreme Court has ruled that the administration must facilitate his return.
Senator Chris Van Hollen, who met with Garcia in El Salvador, described him as “traumatized” by his detention and emphasized the importance of upholding constitutional rights for all individuals in the U.S.
