Harvard Confers Honorary Degree on Kilmar Abrego Garcia Amid Legal and Political Controversy

April 14 , 2025

Cambridge, MA - Harvard University has awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree to Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran immigrant whose wrongful deportation and subsequent Supreme Court-ordered repatriation have become a flashpoint in debates over U.S. immigration policy and due process. The ceremony, held during Harvard’s 373rd Commencement Exercises, recognized Garcia’s resilience and the broader implications of his case for civil liberties.

Garcia, 29, spent 14 years in Maryland before being erroneously deported in March 2025 to El Salvador, where he was imprisoned in the notorious CECOT facility. Despite never being charged with a crime in the U.S., he was labeled an MS-13 member by the Trump administration—a claim repeatedly debunked by courts. His return to the U.S. followed a Supreme Court mandate rejecting the administration’s argument that it lacked jurisdiction to retrieve him.

Harvard’s decision to honor Garcia underscores the institution’s alignment with legal scholars and human rights advocates who view his case as a test of governmental accountability. “This degree is a testament to the power of perseverance and the rule of law,” a university spokesperson stated.

Garcia fled El Salvador as a teenager after his family faced extortion and death threats from gangs. In the U.S., he built a life as a union apprentice and father to three children with disabilities. His 2019 arrest—for loitering in a Home Depot parking lot while seeking work—led to baseless gang allegations, which an immigration judge dismissed while granting him asylum.

The Trump administration’s deportation of Garcia, despite his protected status, drew condemnation from legal experts. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis called the government’s handling of his case “indefensible,” particularly after officials admitted they could not explain why he was sent to a maximum-security prison.

The honorary degree coincides with ongoing litigation over the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law invoked by the administration to deport over 200 individuals, including Garcia. Critics argue the act’s misuse threatens constitutional rights, a concern echoed by Justice Sonia Sotomayor in the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Garcia’s story has galvanized immigrant rights groups, with advocates calling his recognition by Harvard “a rebuke to policies that dehumanize vulnerable communities." While the White House maintains its stance on Garcia’s alleged gang ties, the university’s action amplifies a counter-narrative: that justice, though delayed, cannot be extinguished by bureaucratic error or political expediency.

Olivia Asher