The administration told the judge that providing additional information was unreasonable and that ‘foreign affairs cannot operate on judicial timelines.’
GREENBELT, Md.—A federal judge pressed the Trump administration on April 11 for answers as to where Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported due to an administrative error, is after the Supreme Court issued an order for his return to the United States.
Department of Justice (DOJ) attorney Drew Ensign told U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis that he didn’t have information about Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts. He also declined to provide additional information on what the government intends to do to return Abrego Garcia.
Before ending the hearing, Xinis said she would require daily updates from the government on its work on the issue. She told Ensign it was “extremely troubling” that there was no evidence available as to Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts and pressed Ensign for answers as to how he didn’t have more information from his clients within the government.
Xinis scheduled the hearing just hours after the Supreme Court directed the administration to work on returning Abrego Garcia. Issued on the evening of April 10, the order also directed Xinis to clarify what she meant when she told the administration to effectuate Abrego Garcia’s return.
Shortly after the Supreme Court’s opinion, she issued a new order for the April 11 hearing to occur and responded to the justices’ request for a clarification.
“To this end, the Court hereby amends the Order to DIRECT that Defendants take all available steps to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia to the United States as soon as possible,” she said.
Part of her order directed the Trump administration to file a declaration with multiple pieces of information, including Abrego Garcia’s location and what steps the government had taken and would take to return him to the United States.
In response, the DOJ requested an extension of the deadline for filing that declaration, and Xinis then extended the deadline for just two hours later, rather than the following week as the government requested.
By Sam Dorman
