Judge Xinis grants media access to sealed Abrego Garcia deportation records

A federal judge has granted a request from a group of major news outlets and publishers to unseal certain records in the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadorian migrant and alleged MS-13 member who was deported from Maryland to El Salvador in March due to an administrative error. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis also granted a request from Abrego Garcia’s legal team to file a motion for sanctions against the Trump administration, with the filing due on June 11.

The decision from Judge Xinis could provide plaintiffs with new ammunition to pursue formal punishments against the Trump administration if they are found to have acted in bad faith or defied court orders. Additionally, the unsealing of records will allow media outlets, including Fox News, NBC News, CBS News, New York Times, Washington Post, and NPR, to have greater access to information regarding the case.

In her order, Judge Xinis acknowledged the public’s right to access court records and ordered the Trump administration to unseal documents that have been filed under seal, as well as a transcript from an April 30 hearing in Abrego Garcia’s case. The ongoing legal battle over Abrego Garcia’s status has raised concerns about the government’s efforts, or lack thereof, to facilitate his return to the U.S.

Abrego Garcia, who remains in El Salvador, has been at the center of a dispute between his legal team and Trump officials, who have alleged that he is a member of the MS-13 gang. Despite these claims, formal ties to the gang have not been proven. Judge Xinis has been pushing for information on efforts to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S., describing the government’s responses as “vague, evasive, and incomplete.”

The court’s decision is the latest development in a conflict between the Trump administration and the courts over the use of the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime immigration law from 1798. Despite earlier court orders to return migrants who were deported to El Salvador, the administration has not complied, raising questions about potential contempt proceedings.

As the legal battle continues, media outlets and the public will have greater access to information regarding Abrego Garcia’s case and the administration’s handling of his deportation. The outcome of the motion for sanctions against the Trump administration remains to be seen, but the unsealing of records could shed light on the administration’s actions and decision-making processes.