U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi looks on during her first press conference at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., Feb. 12, 2025.
Craig Hudson | Reuters
The Department of Justice missed a Friday morning deadline set by a federal judge in Maryland to inform her of the Trump administration’s plan for securing the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from an El Salvador prison, where he has been held since being deported.
The DOJ, in a filing, told District Court Judge Paul Xinis that her 11:30 a.m. ET deadline was “impracticable.”
The department noted that her order came hours after the Supreme Court upheld her prior directive that the U.S. government facilitate the return of Abrego Garica, who the DOJ has said was deported due to an administrative error.
But the Supreme Court in its decision Thursday night had said, “For its part, the Government should be prepared to share what it can concerning the steps it has taken and the prospect of further steps.”
Xinis has scheduled a 1 p.m. status hearing in the case.
The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld Xinis’ original order in the case, which directed the Trump administration “to facilitate and effectuate the return” of Abrego Garcia.
The Supreme Court, however, told Xinis she needed to clarify her directive’s use of the word “effectuate … with due regard for the deference owed to the Executive Branch in the conduct of foreign affairs.”
Xinis within hours modified her order in response to the Supreme Court decision, and directed the administration to “take all available steps to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia to the United States as soon as possible.”
She also told the DOJ to tell her before Friday’s hearing “the current physical location and custodial status of Abrego Garcia … what steps, if any, Defendants have taken to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s immediate return to the United States,” and “what additional steps Defendants will take, and when, to facilitate his return.”
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