The Trump administration has asked a federal judge to dismiss 鈥檚 mistaken deportation to El Salvador, arguing the court lacks jurisdiction because he鈥檚 no longer in the United States.
The request for dismissal late Tuesday was a procedural move by the U.S. government, which was required to respond to Abrego Garcia鈥檚 lawsuit within 60 days. U.S. attorneys reiterated their arguments from late March against his return.
The government's filing is the latest development in a case that has carried on for two months without any discernible movement toward resolution, despite to bring back Abrego Garcia and a subsequent to 鈥渇acilitate鈥� his return.
President Donald Trump in late April that he could retrieve Abrego Garcia with a phone call to El Salvador's president. But Trump said he wouldn't do it because Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang, an allegation that Abrego Garcia denies and for which he was never charged.
Trump administration attorneys have not used the president's plainspoken explanation inside the Maryland federal court that ordered Abrego Garcia鈥檚 return. about returning Abrego Garcia is protected by the state secrets privilege, often used in military cases.
U.S. attorneys said releasing such details in open court 鈥� or even to the judge in private 鈥� would jeopardize national security by revealing sensitive diplomatic negotiations. Many filings in the case have been sealed.
that the Trump administration has done nothing to return the Maryland construction worker. They say the government is invoking the privilege to hide behind the misconduct of mistakenly deporting him and refusing to bring him back.
Abrego Garcia's deportation in 2019 that shielded Abrego Garcia from expulsion to his native country. The immigration judge determined that Abrego Garcia faced likely persecution by a local Salvadoran gang that terrorized his family.
Abrego Garcia鈥檚 American wife sued over his deportation, and U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis . The Supreme Court ruled on that the administration must work to bring him back.
Xinis is yet to rule on the U.S. government's state secrets claim. During , she said the government's explanation for invoking it was inadequate and gave the Trump administration extra time to provide more information.
Xinis is yet to rule on the Trump administration's motion Tuesday to dismiss Abrego Garcia's lawsuit. Hours before filing the motion, the U.S. government had asked Xinis for a 30-day extension.
She denied the request.
鈥淭he Court has conducted no fewer than five hearings in this case and at no point had Defendants even intimated they needed more time to answer or otherwise respond,鈥� Xinis wrote.
Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, one of Abrego Garcia's attorneys, said in a statement that the Trump administration's motion to dismiss was 鈥渁 retread of arguments they鈥檝e already made that have already been rejected, filed just to meet a deadline.鈥�
Ben Finley, The Associated Press
