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Top of the Agenda

During a White House press conference yesterday, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said his government would not return a man the United States wrongfully transferred to a Salvadoran prison. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Donald Trump administration must “facilitate” the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia—a Maryland resident with legal protection from removal—after the administration acknowledged it had erroneously transferred him to El Salvador. But both Bukele and the Trump administration argued yesterday that they were powerless to return Abrego Garcia.

The latest. The press conference underscored both El Salvador’s role in supporting Trump’s migrant expulsions and the Trump administration’s clash with the courts over deportation practices.

• In a court filing yesterday, the Trump administration did not appear to be asking El Salvador to return Abrego Garcia. Attorney General Pam Bondi said earlier yesterday it’s “up to El Salvador” to decide whether to return Abrego Garcia, and that Washington would provide a plane if needed. Bukele during his Oval Office visit said he lacked “the power to return” Abrego Garcia. 
• The Trump administration has repeatedly accused Abrego Garcia of membership in gang MS-13. Yesterday, it argued that a 2019 order protecting him from removal was no longer valid once MS-13 was declared a terrorist organization. Abrego Garcia’s lawyers say the government has provided no evidence he was affiliated with MS-13.
• The case is currently in front of a federal judge. Abrego Garcia’s lawyers have asked the judge to determine whether the Trump administration is in contempt of court. 

The big picture. In a step beyond simply accepting deportees from the United States, El Salvador has also accepted migrant detainees who had no chance to contest their removal in court. Typically, migrants in the United States are allowed legal defense before deportation. Trump has praised Bukele for accepting the detainees, saying that he is “taking care of a lot of problems that we have.” 

Yesterday, Trump said he was exploring sending U.S. citizens convicted of crimes to prison in El Salvador if it were legal—something law experts have contested.

“President Trump feels that he needs President Bukele to carry out these expulsions, renditions, or whatever you want to call them. I don’t think deportation is the right word because typically you don’t deport people without criminal charges straight into a foreign mega-jail…The idea that there are people in the prison system that Bukele can’t find, or won’t find, or are now just going to go missing—I can’t believe that’s the attitude of a country that wants to consider itself a U.S. partner. Typically, when we’ve looked for partners in Latin America, we’ve considered democracy and the rule of law. Right now, Mr. Bukele is showing he doesn’t care much about any of that.”

—CFR expert Will Freeman on NBC

Across the Globe

Xi courts Vietnam. Chinese President Xi Jinping signed dozens of cooperation agreements on a visit to Vietnam yesterday. They included deals on supply chains and railways, though their content was not fully disclosed. Xi pitched Beijing as a stable partner against the backdrop of Trump’s “unilateralism and protectionism.” Vietnam is also trying to negotiate relief from 46 percent U.S. tariffs due to take effect after Trump’s ninety-day pause.  

Reported Saudi financial aid for Syria. Saudi Arabia plans to pay off some $15 million in Syrian debt to the World Bank, three unnamed sources told Reuters. The debts have blocked the bank from issuing Syria new reconstruction finance. Syria’s finance minister met with a World Bank delegation yesterday, the country’s state media said. The bank, the Saudi government press office, and a Syrian government official did not immediately comment.

Green stock exchange. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved the application of a new stock exchange devoted to sustainable investing. It’s expected to begin trading in early 2026. Traders have pulled billions from funds focused on environmental and social goals in the past week of market instability, but the Green Impact Exchange’s founders say they expect investor interest due to the financial ramifications of climate change.  

Displacement in Darfur. As Sudan’s war crosses into its third year today, up to four hundred thousand people were displaced from the Zamzam refugee camp during its takeover by paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the UN International Organization for Migration said. The RSF took control of the camp Sunday following four days of fighting that left hundreds dead. The RSF said the camp was being used as a base for groups aligned with the Sudanese army.

Lebanon-Syria security talks. The two governments agreed to cooperate economically and coordinate over security issues in Cairo yesterday. Last month, they saw deadly border clashes before reaching a cease-fire. Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s visit begins a phase of “restoration of trust,” Salam said. The leaders also discussed the case of Lebanese people who had gone missing in Syria in recent decades.

Japan’s prep for U.S. negotiations. Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru ordered an analysis of Japan’s non-tariff barriers to trade—such as car safety standards—ahead of U.S. trade talks this week, he told lawmakers. He said that Tokyo did not plan “big concessions for the sake of wrapping up negotiations quickly.” Japan’s economy minister said the country seeks a full removal of Trump’s additional tariffs through steps such as expanding Japan’s U.S. investment.

Ghana’s IMF program. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reached a preliminary decision to disburse $370 million to Ghana as part of an ongoing loan program. The instability in global financial markets in recent weeks has increased the price of paying off debt for developing countries, but the IMF said that Ghana’s reforms were on track. Accra reached its deal with the lender in 2022.  

Trump’s tariff signaling. Trump said he was “looking at something to help some of the car companies” when discussing his 25 percent tariffs on auto importsyesterday. He said that car companies moving production to the United States would “need a little bit of time.” Separately, his administration announced probes into semiconductor and pharmaceutical sectors yesterday—a step toward potential duties. It kicked off a three week public comment period.

What’s Next

• Today, the United Kingdom hosts a humanitarian conference on Sudan’s conflict.

• Today, U.S. Congressman Keith Self (R-TX) meets with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in Brussels.

• Today, the UN Security Council debates Yemen and Sudan.

• Tomorrow, Chinese President Xi Jinping continues a state visit to Malaysia.