‘We shall not micromanage the efforts of a fine district judge attempting to implement the Supreme Court’s recent decision,’ the court states.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has denied the Trump administration’s request that it block a federal judge’s orders, one of which required it to facilitate the return of an illegal immigrant from El Salvador whom the government said was deported to his home country due to an administrative error.
“While we fully respect the Executive’s robust assertion of its Article II powers, we shall not micromanage the efforts of a fine district judge attempting to implement the Supreme Court’s recent decision,” Judge Harvie Wilkinson said on April 17 in a statement joined by two other circuit judges.
The administration told the Fourth Circuit in an April 16 filing that it should block U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis’s order requiring it to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return to the United States, as well as her order for expedited discovery to determine whether the administration complied with an order for that facilitation.
An initial order from Xinis required the administration to “facilitate” and “effectuate” Abrego Garcia’s return. Still, the Supreme Court stepped in on April 10, stating that she should clarify what she meant by “effectuate.”
“The District Court should clarify its directive, with due regard for the deference owed to the executive branch in the conduct of foreign affairs,” the Supreme Court said.
On April 10, Xinis responded to the Supreme Court ruling by amending her original order to say, “Direct that defendants take all available steps to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia to the United States as soon as possible.”
The administration’s emergency motion on April 16 argued that “under the guise of an amended order,” Xinis had “set down the same unjustifiable path, all in service of a member of a foreign terrorist organization with no valid right to be in the United States.”
The case has raised questions about the nation’s separation of powers, specifically how much judges can intervene in foreign affairs.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
By Sam Dorman
