DOJ Lawyer Suspended After Mishandling Case of Mistakenly Deported Maryland Man
A Justice Department lawyer has been placed on indefinite leave following a controversial case where a Maryland man was mistakenly deported to El Salvador.
The Trump administration has taken action against a Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyer, Erez Reuveni, who was involved in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident mistakenly deported to El Salvador. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Reuveni was placed on indefinite paid leave after a judge ruled that Garcia must be returned to the U.S. by Monday. The decision came after it was acknowledged that Garcia’s deportation was an error.
Garcia, who had been living in Maryland and working as a sheet metal apprentice, was arrested in an IKEA parking lot while his young son was in the car. Despite having a work permit from the Department of Homeland Security, he was deported on March 15, which violated the Administrative Procedures Act as it occurred without a judicial proceeding.
The case has sparked significant controversy, with the Trump administration arguing in an emergency appeal that they cannot force El Salvador to return Garcia. They also claimed that Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, and thus has no legal right to be in the U.S. However, Garcia’s lawyers strongly deny any gang affiliations and argue that the government has provided little evidence to support their claims.
The situation has drawn attention to the responsibilities of government lawyers, with Attorney General Bondi emphasizing that all DOJ attorneys must ‘zealously advocate’ on behalf of the United States. The case continues to unfold as the deadline for Garcia’s return approaches, raising questions about the administration’s handling of immigration and deportation processes.