Chief Justice John Roberts issued an order on Monday that blocked a previous order from a district court judge demanding that deported Salvadoran national Kilmer Abrego Garcia be returned to the United States by midnight.
Fox News reporter Bill Melugin shared a photo of the order via X, along with the news: “BREAKING: SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts has temporarily blocked the district court’s order that Salvadoran National Kilmer Abrego Garcia be returned to the U-S by midnight tonight. He ordered Abrego Garcia’s lawyers to respond by Tuesday at 5pm ET.”
BREAKING: SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts has temporarily blocked the district court’s order that Salvadoran National Kilmer Abrego Garcia be returned to the U-S by midnight tonight.
He ordered Abrego Garcia’s lawyers to respond by Tuesday at 5pm ET. pic.twitter.com/NSM03mo52d— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) April 7, 2025
“UPON CONSIDERATION of the application of counsel for the applicants,” the order began. “IT IS ORDERED that the April 4, 2025 order of the United States District Court of of Maryland, case No. 8.25-cv-951, is hereby stayed pending further order of the undersigned or of the Court. It is further ordered that a response to the application be filed on or before Tuesday, April 8th, 2025, by 5 p.m. (EDT).”
The Trump administration had asked the Supreme Court to block the lower court’s order — issued by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis — earlier in the day, arguing that allowing it to stand would set a dangerous precedent with regard to the administration’s ability to enforce immigration law.
Abrego Garcia, 29, was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March and sent to a mega prison there due to an “administrative error.” The Salvadoran national, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, is a suspected MS-13 gang member and has a deportation order from an American judge dating back to 2019. That judge did also state that Abrego Garcia should not be deported to El Salvador out of concern for his physical safety.
