President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi used the Oval Office Monday to escalate their rhetoric over the detention of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, casting his case as a symbol of what they call systemic failures in immigration enforcement.

Abrego Garcia, currently facing federal human smuggling charges, was taken into custody by immigration authorities last week. The Department of Homeland Security has notified his attorneys of plans to deport him to Uganda within days, despite his legal team’s arguments that he faces persecution if removed.

Trump, who has consistently framed immigration enforcement as central to his administration, described Abrego Garcia as “very bad for votes” and once again blamed “liberal courts” for protecting him. “The guy doesn’t belong here,” Trump said, pointing to what he called a “broken” justice system that, in his words, allows dangerous people to remain in the country.

At Trump’s side, Bondi went further. “He will no longer terrorize our country,” she said. “The guy needs to be in prison. He doesn’t need to be on the streets like all these liberals want him to be.”

The administration has cast Abrego Garcia as a public safety threat, though records show he has not been convicted of violent crimes. He was wrongfully deported to El Salvador earlier this year and returned to the U.S. in June. He was briefly released Friday ahead of a January trial on smuggling charges before being detained again by ICE.

Bondi claimed that Abrego Garcia is part of the same threat as MS-13 and other organizations. “We’re going to keep America safe from all of these foreign terrorist organizations, including Abrego Garcia,” she said.

Trump and his advisers have frequently linked immigration cases to broader concerns about crime and public safety, even when the facts of an individual case don’t fully support the claims.

As the case moves forward, the contrast is stark: a man awaiting trial, not yet convicted, cast as a national threat from the highest office in the country.