Government Knows Nothing and Has Done Nothing to Retrieve Kilmar Abrego Garcia

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The Supreme Court ruled that the government must facilitate retrieval of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from the CECOT prison in El Salvador, and sent the case back down to federal District Court to make it happen, but government cannot say where he is or what, if anything, it has done.

Federal District Court Judge Paula Xinis expressed incredulity and frustration today as Department of Justice attorney Drew Ensign repeatedly could not answer her questions.

Xinis asks the DOJ attorney (Drew Ensign) where is Mr. Abrego Garcia.

Ensign: I don’t have that info. My clients haven’t given me that info as of today.

Xinis: Where is he? Ensign: I don’t have that info.

Xinis: What have the defendants done to facilitate the return of Mr. Abrego Garcia?

Ensign: I am not prepared to share that info with you.

Xinis: Was anything done at all? It’s a “yes” or “no” answer.

Ensign: I am unable to answer that question as I don’t have any knowledge of it.

Xinis: You don’t seem to have a full and effective relationship with your client. Why don’t you have any information for the court?

Ensign: We may have info for you by Tuesday, but there might be privilege invocations but I don’t know at this time.

Xinis: SCOTUS has spoken and “we’re not going to slow walk this” and “we’re not re-litigating what SCOTUS has already put to bed.”

Ensign: We don’t believe you should have issued your amended order compelling us to respond before we had the opportunity to be heard.

Xinis: I disagree.

Xinis: I’m ordering daily status updates to be filed in this case until these issues are resolved. Answer my questions by 5 pm ET tomorrow. And the following day after the DOJ files its affidavit, we can have a hearing.

(information posted in BlueSky by Katie Phang)