Judge Demands Daily Updates as Trump Administration Stonewalls on Wrongfully Deported Man

A federal judge today rebuked the Trump administration for failing to disclose the whereabouts or current status of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador last month in violation of a federal court order.

“I am asking a very simple question: Where is he?” said U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis during a tense hearing in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The question went unanswered.

Justice Department attorney Drew Ensign told the court he had no information on Abrego Garcia’s location. “I do not have that information provided to me,” he said.

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Judge Xinis was visibly disturbed by the government’s response. “There is no evidence today as to where he is today,” she said from the bench. “That is extremely troubling.”

The hearing marks a dramatic escalation in the ongoing legal saga surrounding Abrego Garcia’s wrongful deportation. Despite a clear order from the court to halt his removal, the Trump administration sent him to El Salvador, sparking national outrage and fresh concerns over the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to justify mass deportations.

In response to the government’s failure to comply with her questions, Judge Xinis ordered daily updates on the administration’s efforts to locate and return Abrego Garcia to the United States.

The ruling underscores growing judicial frustration with federal immigration authorities under President Trump, especially after recent Supreme Court guidance reaffirmed due process protections even in cases involving national security claims.

The Abrego Garcia case is rapidly becoming a flashpoint, not just for immigration rights advocates, but for federal courts now grappling with the consequences of an executive branch increasingly willing to defy judicial authority.

This story is developing.