In Greenbelt, Maryland, a federal judge announced plans to require sworn testimony from Trump administration officials to investigate their adherence to court orders concerning Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s case. Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported and incarcerated in a notorious El Salvador prison, is at the center of this legal battle.
Judge Paula Xinis expressed her frustration over the administration’s continuous refusal to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s repatriation, directly countering what she called a “clear” directive from the Supreme Court. Dismissing statements from White House officials and El Salvador’s president about their inability to bring him back, Xinis referred to them as “misguided” efforts. “The Supreme Court has spoken,” she affirmed, clarifying that the ongoing public commentary was not relevant to the court’s proceedings.
Xinis’s ruling calls for testimony from officials linked to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department. She anticipates this examination process will extend over two weeks. The judge criticized the officials for their inaction regarding Abrego Garcia’s case and highlighted their obligation to assist in his release wherever possible.
The hearing followed assertions from White House advisors who claimed a lack of authority to orchestrate Abrego Garcia’s return from El Salvador. The Salvadoran president compounded the issue by equating his return to smuggling a terrorist into the U.S. Abrego Garcia’s deportation has become a contentious issue amid President Donald Trump’s immigration policies that include deportations to El Salvador. Following the hearing, protestors outside the Maryland courthouse chanted for due process.
Abrego Garcia’s attorney, Rina Ghandi, sees the potential for contempt proceedings against the administration if the fact-finding does not yield results. She considered the hearing a significant step forward, though acknowledging more work lies ahead. Meanwhile, his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, emotionally recalled the family’s ordeal since his disappearance during a deportation in front of their young child.
An effort to solve the issue led Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen to announce his intentions to travel to El Salvador to assess Abrego Garcia’s condition and engage in discussions to secure his release. Having resided in the U.S. for about 14 years, Garcia has built a life around construction work, marriage, and parenting three children with disabilities. A U.S. immigration judge had previously ruled in his favor, granting him protection from deportation due to threats from local gangs, allowing him to work legally in the U.S. Despite the ruling, the Trump administration deported him, citing an “administrative error” and unfounded gang allegations against him.
Judge Xinis had earlier directed the Trump administration to return Abrego Garcia, with the Supreme Court reinforcing that directive. Yet, the administration hesitated, arguing presidential authority over diplomacy. Despite a court order for daily updates on Garcia’s status, the administration remained steadfast in its refusal to discuss plans for his return.
On Tuesday, while Trump administration lawyers expressed willingness to facilitate Garcia’s return, they threatened to revoke his deportation protection, potentially deporting him again. Abrego Garcia’s legal representatives contested the administration’s assertion of lacking authority to act, highlighting U.S. financial arrangements with El Salvador, which could be leveraged to secure his release.
El Salvador, having struck a deal with the U.S. to detain Venezuelan immigrants, faces scrutiny over agreements possibly used to hold American citizens unlawfully. This development adds complexity to the legal and diplomatic impasse surrounding Garcia’s return.