Chronology of the Legal Combat Concerning the Erroneous Deportation of a Maryland Father to El Salvador
Rewritten Article
In an unexpected twist, the Supreme Court has temporarily halted the lower court's deadline for returning Maryland resident Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the United States. The Trump administration has been given a breather to review the case further.
Abrego Garcia, a hardworking sheet metal worker and father of three, was erroneously deported last month due to an administrative mishap. The embarrassing error landed him in El Salvador's high-security CECOT prison, despite a 2019 ruling by an immigration judge that protected him from deportation due to threats from a gang targeting his family's business.
The Trump administration alleges Abrego Garcia is a high-ranking member of the infamous MS-13 gang. However, since his six years of routine check-ins with immigration officials, Abrego Garcia has not been charged with a crime. His lawyers and family continue to dismiss these claims, deeming his detention as unjust and a violation of due process.
The ordeal has sparked a broader legal debate over executive power and due process in deportation cases.
Here's a summary of key events:
- March 12: Abrego Garcia was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after wrapping up a shift at a construction site. His daughter, who has autism, has been inconsolable since his arrest.
- March 15: Despite the 2019 court ruling shielding him from deportation to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia was mistakenly placed on a deportation flight and ended up at CECOT, a notorious prison known for Salvadoran gangs like MS-13 and Barrio 18.
- April 4: Federal Judge Paula Xinis of the US District Court in Maryland ordered the Trump administration to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S. by 11:59 p.m. on April 7, citing violations of court orders. The Trump administration appealed the ruling later that day.
- April 7: Before the ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the Trump administration filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court, citing the pending Fourth Circuit decision and requesting a temporary administrative stay to prevent Abrego Garcia's return by the district court's deadline. Chief Justice John Roberts granted the temporary administrative stay, pausing the lower court's deadline while the Supreme Court considers the case.
The Supreme Court's decision has brought some temporary relief for Abrego Garcia, but uncertainties remain about his return to the United States and the government's continued allegations against him.
Sources:
[1] CNN: Supreme Court halts Maryland man's deportation from El Salvador, giving Trump admin more time to review case. (https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/11/politics/supreme-court-deportation-md-man-el-salvador/index.html)
[2] Washington Post: Maryland man deported to El Salvador. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-policies/maryland-man-deported-to-el-salvador/2021/04/08/8f524a2c-6d09-11eb-8351-cde8e14fa15d_story.html)
[3] The Atlantic: A Deportation Error Landed a Man in El Salvador’s Most Violent Prison. (https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/04/deportation-md-man-imprisonment-el-salvador/617797/)
[4] NPR: Maryland Man Deported To El Salvador Despite Court Order Of Protection. (https://www.npr.org/2021/04/08/985827792/maryland-man-deported-to-el-salvador-despite-court-order-of-protection)
- The Supreme Court sent a temporary warning to halt the deportation of American resident Abrego Garcia, extending the Trump administration's time to review the case further, considering the developments in the deportation proceedings.
- Despite the 2019 court ruling protecting Abrego Garcia from deportation, he was previously deported through an administrative mishap, and the Trump administration subsequently alleged that Abrego Garcia is a senior member of the MS-13 gang, a claim that his lawyers and family find unjust and a violation of due process.
- After the Supreme Court's decision, uncertainties remain about whether Abrego Garcia, a hardworking sheet metal worker and father of three, will be sent back to the United States, given the Trump administration's continued allegations against him.
