The administration continued to expand our constitutional crisis last week by thumbing its nose at an order to bring back a man who had been mistakenly deported from Maryland to a foreign prison, even though he lived in the U.S. under temporary protected status. The White House press secretary insisted that the government’s hands were tied because the Maryland resident was no longer in the country, but instead in El Salvador — a remarkable statement of impotence from a government that throws its weight around at every opportunity.
Judge Wilkinson, a Reagan appointee, says the Trump administration's position on Abrego Garcia amounts to a "path of perfect lawlessness." storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us…
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney.bsky.social) 2025-04-07T15:19:31.508Z
The president of El Salvador joked about the father’s plight, posting a response to the court order that featured a cartoon rabbit making a confused face.
Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador, responded to news of the judge’s order by posting a GIF of a confused bunny on X.
— Anna Bower (@annabower.bsky.social) 2025-04-04T22:48:28.342Z
The administration even punished the Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyer assigned to the Maryland case for admitting, WHILE ARGUING AGAINST issuing the court order, that the Maryland man should never have been sent to El Salvador. Claiming that the attorney had “fail[ed] to zealously advocate” for the government, the DOJ put him on indefinite paid leave — and also suspended the lawyer’s supervisor.