Supreme Court Temporarily Halts Return of Salvadoran Man Deported in Error

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday temporarily blocked a judge’s order requiring the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man deported by the Trump administration despite having legal protections. Chief Justice John Roberts issued an administrative stay, pausing U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis’s ruling that mandated Abrego Garcia’s return by the end of the day. The decision gives the court more time to evaluate the government’s request for a longer halt while litigation proceeds. Earlier in the day, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had denied a similar request from the administration.

Abrego Garcia, who legally resided in Maryland with a work permit, was mistakenly deported to El Salvador on March 15. He had been granted protection from deportation in 2019 due to the threat of gang persecution in his home country. The Justice Department acknowledged an “administrative error” in his removal but claimed the deportation itself was lawful, citing unproven allegations that he was affiliated with the MS-13 gang. Abrego Garcia’s lawyers strongly denied these claims, emphasizing that he has never been charged with a crime and is now held in one of the region’s most dangerous prisons.

The deportation has sparked backlash within the Justice Department, leading to the suspension of two senior officials—Erez Reuveni and his supervisor August Flentje—who were involved in the case. Judge Xinis had condemned the deportation as “wholly lawless,” stating that there was no legal basis for his arrest or removal. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to face scrutiny over its role in deporting more than 200 individuals to El Salvador under a controversial $6 million deal with President Nayib Bukele’s government.

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