• Trump claims Kilmar Abrego Garcia has MS-13 tattooed on his knuckles, despite contradictory evidence.
• The image Trump referenced is reportedly doctored, featuring added text symbols above Abrego Garcia's tattoos.
• Experts question the link between Abrego Garcia's tattoos and MS-13 gang affiliation.
• Legal challenges complicate the deportation case of Abrego Garcia, who was sent to El Salvador against a court order.

In a recent interview with ABC News’ Terry Moran, President Trump maintained that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man whom his administration deported to El Salvador, had the MS-13 gang name tattooed on his knuckles. Trump claimed, “On his knuckles, he had MS-13,” asserting this despite disputes over the veracity of the claim, according to HuffPost, Al Jazeera, Forbes, and The New York Times.

Trump's assertions are rooted in a photoshopped image he previously shared, which displays alphanumeric characters “M,” “S,” “1,” and “3” placed above tattoos of a marijuana leaf, smiley face, cross, and skull found on Abrego Garcia’s fingers. The president seemed to confuse the digitally added symbols with actual tattoos during the interview, leading to a contentious dialogue with Moran, who asserted that “that was photoshopped,” prompting Trump's irritated rebuttal, according to Forbes and The New York Times.

Experts on gang affiliation have noted that the tattoos displayed do not typically signify MS-13 membership. Many argue that designs like marijuana leaves and smiley faces are common tattoos disconnected from gang culture. David M. Kennedy, a gang expert, stated, "The tattoos in the photo don’t look familiar to me," suggesting they are not representative of MS-13's aesthetic standards, according to Al Jazeera, Forbes, and The New York Times.

Abrego Garcia’s deportation has also raised legal concerns, as he reportedly had a protective order preventing his removal from the U.S. The U.S. Supreme Court has demanded that the Trump administration ensures Garcia's compliance with the court's ruling regarding his deportation. However, the administration maintains the decision to return Garcia lies with the Salvadoran government, complicating matters further, as indicated by multiple reports including Al Jazeera and The New York Times.