In a recent legal drama that sounds like it was ripped from a political thriller, the Justice Department under former President Trump took a jab at Judge Paula Xinis in the ongoing case regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a deported MS-13 gang member. The judge, who was appointed by Obama, did not hold back during a hearing last Friday, criticizing the Trump Administration for its lackadaisical approach to keeping the court informed about Garcia’s whereabouts.
Judge Xinis expressed frustration, stating that the administration made “no meaningful effort to comply” with her orders demanding details on Garcia’s physical location and custodial status. She pointedly noted, “Defendants made no meaningful effort to comply. Instead, they complained that the Order is ‘unreasonable and impracticable,’ and involves ‘sensitive country-specific considerations wholly inappropriate for judicial review,’” which could easily be interpreted as bureaucratic doublespeak for “we don’t want to do it.”
Moreover, the judge dismissed the defendants’ claims that they needed some vague form of ‘vetting’ before they could answer basic questions about Garcia’s status, stating that their reasoning provided no justification for their noncompliance. She subsequently ordered daily updates on Garcia’s situation, specifying that beginning April 12, 2025, the defendants must file a declaration by 5:00 PM ET each day detailing not just Garcia’s location but also what steps have been taken—or will be taken—to facilitate his return to the United States. A follow-up hearing is scheduled for April 15, 2025, which promises to add a bit more drama to this already convoluted saga.
In a classic case of “you can’t make this up,” the DOJ submitted its status report an hour late on Monday, and in a move that could only be described as cheeky, they failed to address the judge’s inquiries about Garcia. Instead, they included a link to comments made by El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, further highlighting their apparent reluctance to engage with the court’s directives.
UPDATE: An hour late, the only substantive update from DOJ is a link to Bukele’s Oval Office comments. Still no response to the judge’s substantive questions. Spells Kilmar’s first name wrong.https://t.co/cm4mIbfwgR pic.twitter.com/MdZLZEX6KC
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) April 14, 2025
Meanwhile, in a concurrent political maneuver, President Trump welcomed President Bukele of El Salvador to the White House on Monday. During their Oval Office meeting, Bukele made it quite clear that he has no intention of returning Garcia to the United States. When pressed by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins about the possibility of extraditing Garcia following an Obama-era judge’s order for his release from prison, Bukele responded incredulously, “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? Of course, I’m not going to do it. The question is preposterous.”
WATCH:
President Trump and President Bukele both made clear in the Oval Office today that they do not intend to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the U.S. following the Supreme Court’s ruling. “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States? Of course I’m not going to do it.… pic.twitter.com/FZbvEySzmk
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) April 14, 2025
