A federal judge has ordered Trump administration officials to testify in early October about the government’s attempts to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia and has temporarily blocked his removal from the US.
US District Judge Paula Xinis announced on Wednesday that an evidentiary hearing will take place on October 6. She said she will issue a ruling within 30 days of the hearing, and Abrego Garcia must stay in the US until then.
Abrego Garcia is expected to remain in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
Meanwhile, he will continue trying to stop his deportation through other legal channels.
He will first have an interview with immigration officials to see if he has a credible fear of persecution or torture in Uganda, the country the Trump administration plans to send him to. If officials find that he does, they must try to find another country to deport him to. Justice Department attorney Drew Ensign said this process could take at least two weeks.
The October hearing will likely include testimony from administration officials, allowing Xinis to determine if they followed proper procedures and acted legally.
Abrego Garcia is also seeking to renew his bid for asylum, which will be reviewed by an immigration judge within the Justice Department.
In mid-March, the Trump administration deported Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, where he was held in the country’s notorious mega-prison. He was later returned to the US to face human smuggling charges, but the administration is now trying to deport him again before his trial concludes.
