A senior DOJ immigration lawyer was placed on indefinite depart on Saturday after he apologized to a federal decide and appeared unprepared for the listening to within the case of an MS-13 gang member deported to El Salvador’s jail.
On Friday, a federal decide ordered the Trump Administration to return an alleged MS-13 gang member to the US after he was deported to El Salvador’s infamous CECOT jail.
US District Choose of the US District Court docket for the District of Maryland, Paula Xinis, an Obama appointee, ordered the Salvadoran gang member to be returned by Monday at midnight.
“This was an unlawful act,” Choose Paula Xinis informed a Justice Division lawyer, based on Politico. “Congress stated you possibly can’t do it, and you probably did it anyway.”
Final week the faux information media reported that the Trump Administration deported a ‘Maryland father’ with protected authorized standing to El Salvador’s CECOT jail.
The DOJ immigration lawyer repeatedly apologized to the decide throughout Friday’s listening to and apologized for the Trump Administration’s actions.
Politico reported on the exchange:
In a uncommon courtroom alternate at Friday’s listening to, the lawyer defending the federal government within the case expressed exasperation with the administration’s method and its refusal to answer his queries.
“I’m additionally annoyed that I’ve no reply for you on lots of these questions,” stated Erez Reuveni, an assistant director within the Justice Division’s Workplace of Immigration Litigation. “The federal government made a selection right here to provide no proof.”
…At one other level, Reuveni stated he’d requested why the U.S. couldn’t search Abrego Garcia’s return and was rebuffed.
“When this case landed on my desk, I requested my purchasers that very query. I’ve not acquired up to now a solution that I discover passable,” he stated.
Shortly earlier than the decide dominated, the visibly annoyed lawyer pleaded with Xinis for twenty-four hours to attempt to persuade U.S. officers to attempt to search Abrego Garcia’s return with out intervention by the court docket.
“I’d ask the court docket to present us, the defendants, yet one more probability to do that,” Reuveni stated. “That’s my advice to my shopper, however to this point that hasn’t occurred.”
On Saturday, the DOJ lawyer was placed on depart and Pam Bondi made it clear this habits received’t be tolerated.
A senior Justice Division immigration lawyer was placed on indefinite depart Saturday, a DOJ official tells me @NewsNation. Confirming NYT.
Deputy Lawyer Basic Todd Blanche suspended Erez Reuveni, the appearing deputy director of the division’s immigration litigation division.
— Kellie Meyer (@KellieMeyerNews) April 5, 2025
“At my route, each Division of Justice lawyer is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the US. Any lawyer who fails to abide by this route will face penalties,” US Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi stated.
Lawyer Basic Bondi:
“At my route, each Division of Justice lawyer is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the US. Any lawyer who fails to abide by this route will face penalties.” https://t.co/YXVdVzQYFS— Kellie Meyer (@KellieMeyerNews) April 5, 2025
