Supreme Court Halts Deportation of Maryland Man Mistakenly Sent to El Salvador

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday granted a temporary pause in the deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was mistakenly sent to a prison in El Salvador. The decision provides additional time for the court to review the case amid concerns about due process and immigration policies.

Chief Justice John Roberts issued the administrative stay, extending the deadline for the Trump administration to return Abrego Garcia to the United States. The case stems from a lower court ruling that mandated his return by 11:59 p.m. ET on April 7, following the administration’s admission that his deportation was due to an administrative error.

Abrego Garcia, 38, is a father of three and a sheet metal worker. He was deported last month and is currently being held at El Salvador’s notorious high-security prison, CECOT. In 2019, an immigration judge had granted him protection from deportation due to threats from gangs targeting his family’s pupusa business.

Officials from the Trump administration allege that Abrego Garcia is a “ranking member” of the MS-13 gang; however, his attorneys argue he has never faced criminal charges during his six years of annual check-ins with immigration authorities.

“This is just a temporary administrative stay. We have every confidence that the Supreme Court will resolve this matter as quickly as possible,” said Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, Abrego Garcia’s attorney, after the decision was announced.

In a response to the Supreme Court’s ruling, the Justice Department claimed that ordering officials to return Abrego Garcia is unprecedented. Solicitor General D. John Sauer emphasized that actions related to foreign relations and deportations are the purview of the executive branch, not the judiciary.

“The executive branch may not seize individuals from the streets, deposit them in foreign prisons in violation of court orders, and then invoke the separation of powers to insulate its unlawful actions from judicial scrutiny,” his attorneys argued in court documents.

Jennifer Vasquez Sura, Abrego Garcia’s wife, expressed her hope while awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision. “This decision gives me hope and encouragement to keep fighting. My children need their father,” she stated during a news conference.

Judge Paula Xinis of the U.S. District Court in Maryland criticized the government’s actions, asserting that the United States government lacks the legal authority to deport someone lawfully present in the country without due process.

The case raises significant questions regarding executive authority and the treatment of immigrants within the judicial system. Discussions around immigration policy are expected to intensify as the Supreme Court reviews Abrego Garcia’s situation. A ruling on the case is anticipated soon, with implications that could impact many other deportation cases.