A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who was wrongly deported to El Salvador. Judge Paula Xinis called his deportation “an illegal act” and criticized the administration’s lawyers for failing to answer basic questions about the situation.
Abrego Garcia, 29, was deported in March, despite a 2019 ruling from an immigration judge that protected him from being sent back due to the risk of persecution from gangs in El Salvador. The judge emphasized that keeping him in El Salvador could cause him serious harm.
Even after immigration officials and the White House admitted that Abrego Garcia’s deportation was a mistake, Trump officials have stood firm in their stance. White House spokesperson Karline Leavitt claimed that he was a member of the MS-13 gang, citing evidence that has not been made public. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys argue that there is no proof of his gang affiliation, pointing out that the allegation comes from a confidential informant who mistakenly linked him to a gang in New York, a place where he has never lived.
During the court hearing, a Justice Department lawyer struggled to explain why Abrego Garcia, who had legal permission to work in the U.S., was taken into custody before his deportation. He admitted to the judge that he had no answers for many of the pressing questions.
Abrego Garcia’s lawyer criticized the Trump administration for its inaction, saying there has been a lot of talk but no real effort to fix the situation. He expressed disappointment, noting that an apology would be welcome but not expected.
At a rally in Maryland, Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, shared her pain. She hasn’t been able to speak to her husband since his deportation and called for support for him and others in similar situations.
This incident highlights the broader issues within the Trump administration’s immigration policies, which have aimed to increase deportations. The administration has faced challenges in expelling individuals due to a backlog in immigration courts. Recently, it attempted to speed up the process using a law from 1789 that allows for the expulsion of foreign nationals during wartime. Critics argue that this law undermines due process and has led to the deportation of individuals based on superficial criteria, such as tattoos or clothing.
A judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from using this law for deportations, raising questions about the legality of the actions taken against Abrego Garcia and others.