Federal Judge Questions DOJ Over Missing MS-13 Allegation Amid Supreme Court Ruling

A federal judge in Maryland sharply criticized government lawyers during a hearing on Friday, focusing on the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national living in Maryland. The judge’s concerns centered on the government’s apparent delays in coordinating his return from a prison in El Salvador.

Abrego Garcia, aged 29, faced deportation to El Salvador last month after being labeled an alleged MS-13 gang member. Nonetheless, his legal representatives argue that he has no connections to the notorious gang.

Judicial Inquiry into Abrego Garcia’s Whereabouts

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis pressed DOJ attorney Drew Ensign regarding the current location of Abrego Garcia. This urgency followed the Supreme Court’s affirmation of Xinis’ order, which mandated federal officials to facilitate his return to Maryland.

A visibly frustrated Xinis asked Ensign for the whereabouts of Abrego Garcia and questioned “under whose authority” he was being held. Ensign’s response was startlingly inadequate, stating, “I do not have that info.”

“I do not have that knowledge; therefore, I cannot relay that info to the court,” Ensign added. “They have not provided that confirmation before this hearing.”