Donald Trump's DOJ turns on its own lawyer as Kilmar Abrego Garcia case heads to standoff

AG Pam Bondi said the DOJ lawyer who argued the govt’s case, was placed on indefinite paid leave.

PUBLISHED APR 6, 2025

"Every DOJ attorney must zealously advocate for the United States," Bondi stated.

Washington D.C.: The Trump administration has placed a Justice Department attorney on leave for failing to aggressively defend its position in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man mistakenly deported last month despite legal protections.

Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that Erez Reuveni, the DOJ lawyer who argued the government’s case, was placed on indefinite paid leave after admitting in court that Garcia’s deportation was an error. "Every DOJ attorney must zealously advocate for the United States," Bondi stated. "Failure to do so will result in consequences."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called Garcia an "illegal criminal" and MS-13 leader.

Last week, US District Judge Paula Xinis ruled that Garcia — who had been living in Maryland — must be returned by Monday midnight, calling his expulsion a violation of the Administrative Procedures Act. However, the Trump administration filed an emergency appeal, arguing that the US cannot force El Salvador to return Garcia, whom they allege is an MS-13 member — a claim his lawyers strongly deny.

"The court’s order demands we somehow retrieve a foreign national, possibly a gang member, in one business day. That’s indefensible," the DOJ argued.

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called Garcia an "illegal criminal" and MS-13 leader, asserting that foreign terrorists "have no legal right to be in the U.S." Garcia’s attorneys, however, say he had legal work authorization, no gang ties, and was protected from deportation after an immigration judge ruled in 2019 that he faced danger in El Salvador.

Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura (a US citizen), has campaigned for his return, insisting he was wrongfully detained while their five-year-old son was in the car.

If the emergency appeal fails, the administration must find a way to comply with the court’s order — despite Garcia currently being held in a Salvadoran prison.