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A US district judge Paula Xinis has ordered the Trump administration to take immediate action in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who was wrongly deported to El Salvador. On Tuesday, Judge Paula Xinis expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in efforts to return Garcia to the United States, noting that there was no evidence the government had made any serious attempt to address the issue.
Judge Paula Xinis Slams Trump Administration
In a hearing held in Greenbelt, Maryland, Judge Xinis remarked that she had not received any meaningful updates from the Trump administration regarding Garcia’s case. “There will be no tolerance for gamesmanship or grandstanding,” she said, emphasizing the government’s lack of initiative. “To date, what the record shows is that nothing has been done. Nothing.”
Judge Xinis has now directed the Trump administration to provide all relevant documents and allow officials to respond to questions under oath by April 23. The judge seeks a clear understanding of what steps the administration has taken to assist in Garcia’s return to the US.
The Plea of Garcia’s Family and Political Tensions
Before the hearing, a group of supporters gathered outside the courthouse to demand Garcia’s return, chanting “Bring Kilmar home.” Among them was Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, who made a heartfelt appeal to both the Trump administration and the government of El Salvador.
“I find myself pleading with the Trump administration and the Bukele administration to stop playing political games with the life of Kilmar,” Sura said.
In a significant political development, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele met with President Trump at the White House the day before the hearing. When asked about Garcia’s case, Bukele dismissed the idea of facilitating Garcia’s return, stating, “The question is preposterous. How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States?”
Judge Paula Xinis Asks for Active Role of Admin
This remark was referenced in the courtroom by US government attorney Drew Ensign, who noted that understanding El Salvador’s stance on the issue was essential in deciding how the US would respond to the judge’s order. Ensign further clarified that the US government believed it had already complied with the judge’s directive, explaining that any obstacles for Garcia’s return had been removed. According to Ensign, if Garcia were to appear at a US border crossing or embassy, he would be permitted entry and taken into custody.
However, Judge Xinis disagreed with this interpretation, asserting that the government’s actions did not align with her original instructions. She clarified that to “facilitate” Garcia’s return meant the US government must take a more active role in the process, rather than waiting for Garcia to initiate his return.
The Status of Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Currently, Garcia is being held at a high-security facility in El Salvador, known as the Terrorism Confinement Centre (CECOT). The US government has not yet acted on the judge’s order to bring him back to the United States, prompting further frustration from his supporters and family.
In response to the ongoing delays, US Senator Chris Van Hollen has suggested he may travel to El Salvador if Garcia has not been returned by midweek. His potential visit highlights the growing political pressure on both the US and El Salvador to resolve the matter.
Who is Judge Paula Xinis?
Judge Paula Xinis, who is overseeing this case, has a distinguished legal career. Born in 1968 in Mineola, New York, Xinis graduated with distinction from Vassar College and earned her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1997. Before her judicial appointment, she served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender for the District of Maryland, where she worked on complex civil and criminal cases.
Xinis was nominated by President Barack Obama to the US District Court in 2015, and her nomination was confirmed in 2016. Over the years, she has been an active member of various legal and professional organizations, including the Federal Bar Association and the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference.
