Trump officials must report efforts, if any, to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, judge rules

By BEN FINLEY A federal judge on Wednesday again directed the Trump administration to provide information about its efforts so far if any to comply with her order to retrieve Kilmar Abrego Garcia from an El Salvador prison Related Articles Trump administration cuts billion in school mental wellness grants citing conflict of priorities The US administration has a new guidelines for terminating international students legal status Wisconsin high court suspends Milwaukee judge accused of helping man evade immigration administration AmeriCorps cuts prompt Colorado and other Democratic-led states to sue Trump administration US judge bars Demarcation Patrol from specific warrantless arrests of suspected undocumented residents U S District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland temporarily halted her directive for information at the administration s request last week But with the seven-day pause expiring at p m she set May deadlines for administrators to provide sworn testimony on anything they have done to return him to the U S Abrego Garcia has been imprisoned in his native El Salvador for nearly seven weeks while his mistaken deportation has become a flash point for President Donald Trump s immigration policies and his increasing friction with the U S courts The president acknowledged to ABC News on Tuesday that he could call El Salvador s president and have Abrego Garcia sent back But Trump doubled down on his contends that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS- gang And if he were the gentleman that you say he is I would do that Trump notified ABC s Terry Moran in the Oval Office Police in Maryland had identified Abrego Garcia as an MS- gang member in based off his tattoos Chicago Bulls hoodie and the word of a criminal informant But Abrego Garcia was never charged His attorneys say the informant claimed Abrego Garcia was in an MS- chapter in New York where he s never lived The gang identification by local police prompted the Trump administration to expel Abrego Garcia in March to an infamous El Salvador prison But the deportation violated a U S immigration judge s order in that protected him from being sent to El Salvador Abrego Garcia had demonstrated to the immigration court that he likely faced persecution by local Salvadoran gangs that terrorized him and his family court records state He fled to the U S at and lived in Maryland for about years working construction getting married and raising three kids Xinis ordered the Trump administration to return him nearly a month ago on April The Supreme Court ruled April that the administration must work to bring him back But the situation only became more heated Xinis lambasted a establishment lawyer who couldn t explain what if anything the Trump administration has done She then ordered agents to provide sworn testimony and other information to document their efforts The Trump administration appealed But a federal appeals court backed Xinis order for information in a blistering ruling saying we shall not micromanage the efforts of a fine district judge attempting to implement the Supreme Court s new decision The Trump administration resisted saying the information Xinis sought involved protected state secrets and ruling body deliberations She in turn scolded cabinet lawyers for ignoring her orders and acting in bad faith The judge has directed U S attorneys to provide specific justifications for their proposes of privileged information But her order could face continued resistance When a reporter urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday whether he has had any conversations with El Salvador about returning Abrego Garcia Rubio noted foreign strategy should not be discussed with judges Well I ll never tell you that And you know who else I ll never tell A judge Rubio revealed during a Cabinet meeting Because the conduct of all foreign framework belongs to the president of the United States and the executive branch not specific judge Associated Press reporter Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed to this summary