Supreme Court Temporarily Halts Judge's Order to Return Wrongfully Deported Maryland Man
Late today, Chief Justice John Roberts granted a temporary administrative stay that pauses a federal court's order requiring the Trump administration to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legally residing Salvadoran father, wrongly deported to El Salvador in March. The administration has until 5 PM Tuesday to respond, giving SCOTUS more time to decide whether to take up the case.
This follows a ruling last week by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, who found that there was no lawful basis for Abrego Garcia’s arrest, detention, or removal. In her scathing opinion, she called the deportation “wholly lawless.” Garcia, who was granted protection in 2019 due to credible threats from gangs in El Salvador, is now imprisoned in one of the most dangerous facilities in the Western Hemisphere under a controversial U.S.-funded program.
The Justice Department admitted to an “administrative error” but argued to SCOTUS that the actual removal was lawful, and blamed the court for setting an “absurdly compressed deadline” that complicates “sensitive international negotiations.”
Meanwhile, this isn’t an isolated incident, it’s part of a growing pattern of federal defiance and judicial rebuke:
Judge William McConnell (Rhode Island) ruled that the Trump administration is openly violating a court order requiring FEMA to resume disaster relief funding to 19 Democrat-led states. McConnell found clear evidence that the administration was punishing states that refused to comply with Trump's immigration agenda. The judge warned that continued defiance may result in contempt charges.
Judge James Boasberg (D.C.) found the administration in likely violation of his injunction halting deportation flights under Trump’s reactivated use of the Alien Enemies Act, calling it an unconstitutional exercise of war powers.
Judge Paula Xinis (Maryland) also determined that the deportation of Garcia was illegal and done in violation of existing judicial protections, adding to the growing list of executive overreaches.
While MAGA-aligned members of Congress attempt to impeach judges for doing their jobs, the courts remain one of the last functioning checks on an increasingly defiant executive branch.
And now, with Roberts’ emergency stay in place, all eyes turn to the Supreme Court. Will it uphold the rule of law, or signal that this White House can ignore court orders with impunity?
Here we go. This will be the "tell" as to whether SCOTUS has any remaining viability or is comprised of witless and spineless lackeys dressed in robes (looking at you Thomas, Alito and Cavanaugh).