A federal judge delivered strict orders to President Donald Trump’s administration for its “willful and bad faith refusal to comply with discovery obligations” in the ongoing court challenge revolving around Kilmar Ábrego Garcia, a Maryland father whom the government admitted it sent to El Salvador in error.
According to CBS News’ Scott MacFarlane, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis issued a “blistering new order” on Tuesday that found the Trump has “sought refuge behind vague and unsubstantiated assertions of privilege, using them as a shield to obstruct discovery and evade compliance with this court's orders” in the case triggered with Garcia’s wrongful deportation.
The judicial tongue-lashing came after the judge ordered daily updates from the government on what they're doing to "facilitate" the return of Ábrego García.
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“The judge's order also throws shade on the Trump Admin's claim Abrego Garcia is out of their control,” according to MacFarlane, who called the 8-page order “scathing.”
"Indeed, custody can be joint, and custodial status may be controlled by the Defendants acting in concert with El Salvador,” Xinis wrote in her order, which blasts the administration’s "willful and intentional noncompliance" with her demands.
Xinis' order set a Wednesday deadline for the government “to answer and respond to all outstanding discovery requests and supplement its invocation of privilege as directed by no later than 6pm April 23, 2025.”
NEW: In a blistering new order, federal judge Paula Xinis of Maryland says the Trump Administration is making "a willful and bad faith refusal to comply with discovery obligations" in the court case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) April 22, 2025