Supreme Court freezes order to un-deport man from El Salvador prison
Chief Justice John Roberts has issued a temporary stay blocking a lower court order that required the Trump administration to return a Maryland resident who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador last month. The resident, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, was mistakenly sent to El Salvador due to an “administrative error” by the government.
The Trump administration appealed the lower court’s decision to both the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, seeking a stay on the order. The Fourth Circuit Court rejected the Justice Department’s request for an administrative stay, leading Chief Justice Roberts to intervene and grant a temporary pause.
Roberts ordered the case to be stayed pending further order, asking for a response from the plaintiffs by Tuesday night. Lawyers for Abrego Garcia immediately responded, highlighting the extraordinary circumstances of his deportation. They emphasized that Abrego Garcia had never been charged with a crime and was not wanted by the government of El Salvador.
The eleventh-hour intervention by Roberts comes as the Trump administration faces scrutiny for its deportation flights to El Salvador, which included more than 100 Venezuelan nationals targeted for immediate removal under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. The legality of using this wartime immigration law for immediate deportations is also being considered by the Supreme Court in a separate case.
As the legal battle continues, the nation awaits further developments in this complex and contentious immigration case. Stay tuned for updates on this breaking news story.
