Monday morning on America’s Newsroom quickly turned into a masterclass in immigration law and media misreporting—delivered with surgical precision by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who found himself sparring with Fox News host Bill Hemmer over the deportation of alleged MS-13 member Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia.
From the opening bell, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a polite back-and-forth. Hemmer pushed Miller to defend the Trump administration’s deportation of Garcia, while Miller, as ever, came armed with facts, precedent, and policy clarity that left Hemmer visibly frustrated.
Let’s break it down.
Miller laid out the case point by point. Garcia, an illegal alien from El Salvador, had a final order of removal dating back to 2019. That means immigration courts—not politicians—ruled that he was to be deported. According to police documents, Garcia had verifiable ties to MS-13, including gang identifiers and rank, noted by the Prince George’s County Police Department in Maryland.
Stephen Miller Corrects Fox’s Bill Hemmer on El Salvadorian Prisoner
“I hate to do it Bill but I have to correct you on every single thing that you said because it’s all wrong.”https://t.co/aJBoeRLsWW pic.twitter.com/LvAbdLXVrE
— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) April 14, 2025
But what ignited this political firestorm was the administration’s execution of that deportation despite a withholding of removal order issued by a judge in 2019. The order gave Garcia temporary protected status due to concerns about potential persecution if returned to El Salvador. Yet that status, as Miller argued, became moot the moment Garcia was identified as an alleged member of a foreign terrorist organization—a designation that undermines any humanitarian protections.
Hemmer repeatedly tried to pin Miller down, asking if he was still convinced Garcia was a gang member. Miller’s response was definitive—and unflinching.
“Yes. But here’s the thing, Bill… not only am I convinced of it, not only is El Salvador convinced of it, Bill, he’s an illegal alien from El Salvador with a deportation order!”
Miller then dropped the hammer:
“You tell me, Bill, what country should we deport him to? Tell me, please, tell me.”
It was a moment of pure, unfiltered policy realism—and it cut straight through the media narrative that the deportation was a “mistake.” Miller made it clear: this was not an error. It was the execution of a lawful removal order, and the administration isn’t in the business of forcibly re-importing suspected criminals at the behest of activist judges.
I don’t know Stephen Miller and I don’t know what causes that physical tic thing he does where he moves his head to the side and looks like he’s adjusting his collar.
What I do know is it looks amazingly cocky and actually adds to the entertainment of him dunking on libs. https://t.co/7vFkfwdbaH
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) April 14, 2025
After Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered the administration to return Garcia, the Supreme Court stepped in. Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily blocked the judge’s demand, acknowledging that a U.S. court cannot compel a sovereign foreign nation—in this case, El Salvador—to extradite one of its own citizens at America’s bidding.
This isn’t just a legal nuance. It’s a foundational principle of sovereignty. And as Miller put it bluntly:
“That would be kidnapping…an unimaginable act and an invasion of El Salvador’s sovereignty.”
Later, the Supreme Court clarified that the administration must facilitate—not effectuate—Garcia’s return. In other words, if El Salvador voluntarily returns him, fine. But the U.S. is under no obligation to force it.
