A senior government official on Wednesday disputed a news anchor’s summary of a recent Supreme Court ruling regarding a deported Maryland resident who is currently detained in El Salvador. The official asserted that the government had actually “won” the case.

The individual in question, a sheet metal worker who had lived in the U.S. for 14 years, was arrested in Baltimore on March 12 while picking up his five-year-old son. Authorities cited prior associations with a designated criminal organization. Later, it was revealed in court that his removal had occurred due to an “administrative error.”

Despite this acknowledgment, the government has stated that it is not legally obligated to return him, referencing documents that suggest ties to criminal

activity. In a court filing, attorneys for the government argued that the judiciary cannot compel the executive branch to act, citing constitutional authority over international relations. Read more below