A federal judge in Maryland has issued a sharp rebuke to the Trump administration, accusing it of obstructing court proceedings and refusing to comply with legal orders in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an undocumented immigrant and suspected MS-13 gang affiliate who was deported to El Salvador.
US District Judge Paula Xinis, appointed by former President Barack Obama, described the administration’s actions as a “willful and bad faith refusal” to meet court-ordered discovery requirements. In her order, Xinis criticized the Justice Department for failing to adequately justify its invocation of privilege and for withholding information about any efforts made to return Abrego Garcia to the United States.
“For weeks, Defendants have sought refuge behind vague and unsubstantiated assertions of privilege,” she wrote. “That ends now.”
She gave the administration until 6 p.m. Wednesday to provide more detailed responses or risk losing those privilege claims altogether.
The controversy stems from Abrego Garcia’s deportation, which the administration has described as an “administrative error.” Despite a ruling by the US Supreme Court directing officials to facilitate his return to continue legal proceedings, the administration contends that it is unable to bring him back, citing a lack of cooperation from El Salvador.
President Donald Trump publicly questioned the courts’ intent to halt Abrego Garcia’s deportation, posting a photo of the suspect’s gang-related tattoos on TRUTH Social and emphasizing his alleged ties to MS-13.
“What is wrong with our country?” Trump asked in the post, arguing that efforts to stop the deportation were misguided.
According to court records and media reports, Abrego Garcia has faced multiple serious allegations, including domestic violence, human trafficking, and gang involvement. However, his attorneys argue that these claims are either unfounded or improperly presented. A 2019 immigration judge granted him humanitarian protection, citing death threats from gangs in El Salvador.
The case has grown increasingly complex, with the Trump administration insisting that diplomatic efforts have been made while remaining vague about their nature. The Justice Department recently filed a sealed report on its actions to date but continued to characterize many questions from Abrego Garcia’s lawyers as overly broad or irrelevant.
A three-judge panel from the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals criticized the administration last week, stating that its position — that it could do nothing to retrieve Abrego Garcia — “should be shocking.”
Meanwhile, Abrego Garcia remains in a Salvadoran prison, with both sides trading accusations over who bears responsibility for his return. Advocates argue that deportees like him are vulnerable to indefinite detention and human rights abuses, while the administration maintains that he poses a serious threat and that returning him may not be feasible or legally required.
FOX News, the Washington Post, and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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