Judge Orders Daily Updates From Trump Admin in Deportation Case

GREENBELT, Md.—A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on April 11 to provide daily updates on Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant who was deported due to an administrative error, after the Supreme Court issued an order for the government to facilitate his return to the United States.

In response to U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis’s question about where Abrego Garcia is, Department of Justice (DOJ) attorney Drew Ensign said that he didn’t have information. He also declined to provide additional information on what the government intends to do to return Abrego Garcia.

Before ending the hearing, Xinis said she would require daily updates from the government on its work on the issue. She told Ensign it was “extremely troubling” that there was no evidence available as to Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts and pressed Ensign for answers as to how he didn’t have more information from his clients within the government.

In a written order, Xinis directed the government to provide daily updates starting April 12, from an individual with knowledge of Abrego Garcia’s physical location and custodial status. As part of those updates, she also requested information on what steps the government took to facilitate his return, as well as what steps it will take.

Xinis’s order stated that she addressed “straightforward questions” to the government and that Ensign couldn’t answer them.

“As a result, counsel could not confirm, and thus did not advance any evidence, that Defendants had done anything to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return,” she said.

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“This remained Defendants’ position even after this Court reminded them that the Supreme Court of the United States expressly affirmed this Court’s authority to require the Government ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s return.”

A follow-up hearing has been scheduled for April 15 in Maryland.

“To this end, the Court hereby amends the Order to DIRECT that Defendants take all available steps to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia to the United States as soon as possible,” she said.

Part of her order directed the Trump administration to file a declaration with multiple pieces of information, including Abrego Garcia’s location and what steps the government had taken and would take to return him to the United States.

In response, the DOJ requested an extension of the deadline for filing that declaration, and Xinis then extended the deadline for just two hours later, rather than the following week as the government requested.

“It is unreasonable and impracticable for Defendants to reveal potential steps before those steps are reviewed, agreed upon, and vetted,” it said. “Foreign affairs cannot operate on judicial timelines, in part because it involves sensitive country-specific considerations wholly inappropriate for judicial review.”