A U.S. federal judge is intensifying scrutiny of the Trump administration’s actions after a man was wrongly deported to El Salvador despite a court order preventing his removal.
During a hearing in Greenbelt, Maryland, on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered officials to submit documents and provide sworn testimony about efforts to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia. While she stopped short of holding the government in contempt, she expressed frustration over its lack of progress.
“The record shows nothing has been done. Nothing,” said Judge Xinis, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama. She emphasized she would not tolerate “gamesmanship or grandstanding” and criticized the administration for offering no meaningful updates, despite being required to provide daily reports on their actions.
Though Xinis refrained from mandating the administration request Abrego Garcia’s return from El Salvador, she called its unwillingness to do so “stunning.”
Abrego Garcia was deported on March 15, in violation of a court order protecting him. His case has raised alarm among Democrats and legal experts, fueling concerns that the Trump administration may be disregarding the authority of the judiciary.
The administration has accused courts of overreach, claiming interference in the executive branch’s foreign policy operations. Critics, meanwhile, argue the administration is exerting unprecedented political pressure on traditionally independent institutions.
On the same day as the hearing, Trump threatened to revoke Harvard University’s tax-exempt status after it refused to comply with federal demands to modify academic programs, a move critics see as retaliation for the university’s handling of pro-Palestinian protests.
In another instance, a federal judge blocked large parts of an executive order targeting law firm Susan Godfrey, which was accused of having ties to Trump’s legal opponents. The judge expressed concern that other firms had avoided similar pressure only by agreeing to terms with the administration.
Abrego Garcia’s deportation is among several high-profile cases testing the legal boundaries of immigration enforcement under Trump, who campaigned on a promise to increase deportations. He was sent to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center along with hundreds of Venezuelans expelled under the Alien Enemies Act—a rarely used 1798 law previously reserved for wartime deportations. Several judges have since halted further deportations under that statute.
Additionally, courts have temporarily blocked the removal of university students legally in the U.S. over their participation in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. On Monday, Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi was arrested in Vermont as he arrived for a citizenship interview.
REF: REUTERS
