Judge blocks Trump’s push to deport Abrego Garcia, rebukes DOJ for trying to ‘dictate’ court
A U.S. judge in Maryland rejected the Trump administration's attempt to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia, using an otherwise procedural order Tuesday to scold the Justice Department for its...
By Fox News · Fox News
A U.S. judge in Maryland rejected the Trump administration's attempt to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia, using an otherwise procedural order Tuesday to scold the Justice Department for its conduct and for attempting, in the judge's view, to "dictate" the actions of the court. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis took umbrage at the government's demand that she rule by mid-April on their request for her to dissolve her injunction keeping Abrego Garcia in the U.S. for now, and allowing them to deport him to Liberia. She sharply disputed the Justice Department's assertion that the court "must" rule by that date, at risk of having the injunction ignored. "Respondents cannot dictate the Court’s schedule or the outcome of the motion," Xinis said. "Nor can they appeal a judicial order that does not exist." ABREGO GARCIA REMAINS IN US FOR NOW AS JUDGE TAKES CASE UNDER ADVISEMENT Ultimately, Xinis said Tuesday, the request was "not ripe" for the court to rule on the government's removal of Abrego Garcia, and set new briefing dates for both parties. She also set a new briefing schedule, with filings due on April 20, and a new hearing date, scheduled for April 28. Lawyers for the Trump administration told the court during a hearing hours earlier that they still intend to deport Abrego Garcia to the African country of Liberia, despite a new agreement between the U.S. and Costa Rica that would allow him to be sent there. Acting ICE director Todd Lyons argued that allowing Abrego Garcia to be sent to Costa Rica, his preferred country of removal, would be "prejudicial" to the U.S., citing what Lyons described as the "significant" government resources and capital the U.S. has invested in negotiating his removal and the removal of certain other migrants to Liberia. Another official suggested Abrego Garcia could "remove himself" to Costa Rica, should he choose to live there, which the judge noted was a "fantasy." ABREGO GARCIA LAWYERS ASK US JUDGE TO ORDER RETURN TO MARYLAND AMID…