A federal judge condemned the Trump administration for failing to locate a Maryland resident wrongly deported to El Salvador despite a court order blocking his removal.
Kilmar Abrego García, a Salvadoran citizen living in Maryland with a valid U.S. work permit since 2019, was detained by ICE on March 12, and summarily deported just three days later on March 15, according to the Guardian. His deportation occurred amid a series of expedited flights targeting alleged gang members, many of them Venezuelan, using controversial emergency powers that bypass due process.
García's family filed a lawsuit contesting the legality of his deportation, prompting U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis to issue an April 4 order demanding the federal government "facilitate and effectuate" his return.
At a heated court hearing on Friday, Judge Xinis repeatedly pressed Justice Department attorneys for updates on García's status and location. The government was unable to confirm whether García was still in El Salvador or in whose custody he remained.
DOJ lawyer Drew Ensign claimed they needed more time to respond, sparking outrage from the judge, who emphasized that the Supreme Court had already upheld her ruling. Xinis called the lack of action "extremely troubling," questioning how such a serious breach of a court order could occur without any meaningful follow-up.
The Trump administration has argued that complying with the court's demands is complicated by García now being under the authority of a "foreign sovereign," El Salvador. In filings, the DOJ insists that foreign policy logistics don't align with court-imposed timelines and has requested more time to determine what actions, if any, are possible.
Meanwhile, García's wife, U.S. citizen Jennifer Vásquez Sura, continues to demand his return and has not spoken to him since his deportation and subsequent imprisonment in El Salvador.
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