Chief Justice Roberts Halts Order to Return Maryland Man Deported to El Salvador

Chief Justice John Roberts has temporarily suspended a lower court’s mandate requiring the Trump administration to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was erroneously deported to El Salvador. This decision follows an emergency appeal from the Justice Department, which contends that U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis exceeded her authority by ordering Abrego Garcia’s return.

Abrego Garcia, 29, had been living legally in the United States with work authorization and possessed no criminal record. Despite a 2019 immigration judge’s ruling acknowledging that he faced likely persecution in El Salvador, officials mistakenly deported him. The government initially alleged that he was affiliated with the MS-13 gang, but courts found insufficient evidence to support this claim. Judge Xinis criticized the deportation as “wholly lawless,” and while the administration conceded that the deportation was an “administrative error,” it argued that it lacks the means to retrieve Abrego Garcia, as he is no longer in U.S. custody. ​

This case underscores ongoing tensions between the judiciary and the Trump administration regarding immigration enforcement and the legal boundaries of executive authority. The Supreme Court is also being asked to deliberate on the administration’s broader efforts to deport other migrants to El Salvador.

Reference:Chief Justice Roberts