Judge Gives Administration Brief Respite on Abrego Garcia

A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily halted her order requiring the Trump administration to provide information on its efforts so far, if any, to retrieve a man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, the AP reports. Drew Ensign, a deputy assistant attorney general, filed a sealed motion requesting a seven-day stay of the judge's directive for the US to provide testimony and documents that involve plans to retrieve Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The administration is also seeking relief from having to file daily updates on its progress. Lawyers for Abrego Garcia filed a response in opposition to the government's motion to halt the order. It was also under seal in the Maryland federal court.

US District Judge Paula Xinis granted the stay until April 30, but her order did not make any changes to the required daily status updates. She didn't explain her legal reasoning, but wrote that it was made "with the agreement of the parties." The Wednesday evening order came just one day after Xinis castigated the administration's lawyers in a written filing Tuesday for ignoring her orders, obstructing the legal process, and acting in "bad faith" by refusing to provide information. The US has claimed that much of the information is protected because it involves state secrets, government deliberations and attorney client privilege. But Xinis has rejected the argument and demanded that the Trump administration provide specific justifications for each claim of privileged information by 6pm Wednesday. (More Kilmar Abrego Garcia stories.)