Justice Department suspends lawyer for mishandling deportation case
- A Justice Department attorney argued in court that he did not understand the rationale behind the government's actions in a deportation case.
- Federal authorities admitted a Maryland man was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, prompting a federal judge's intervention.
- The attorney was suspended for his inability to effectively represent the government's interests in this critical immigration case.
In the United States, the Justice Department suspended Erez Reuveni, an attorney who argued in a federal court that his understanding of the government's reasoning was unclear after it was revealed that Kilmar Abrego García was mistakenly deported to El Salvador. This incident occurred when García, a Salvadoran man married to a U.S. citizen, was incorrectly sent by the Trump administration to a notorious prison in El Salvador. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ruled that he should be returned to the U.S. no later than Monday, though the administration claimed it lacked the authority to arrange his return due to jurisdiction matters related to the foreign prison in question. The attorney's failure to defend the government's position prompted the suspension, as Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized that all DOJ attorneys must zealously advocate for the United States. The ongoing debate raises questions on legal authority and humane treatment regarding deportees caught in complex immigration scenarios.