Justice Department lawyer placed on leave after questioning deportation of Maryland man

A top immigration attorney at the Justice Department was placed with indefinite leave on Saturday after questioning the deportation of a man in Maryland to El Salvador, according to The New York Times.

In a letter obtained by the newspaper sent to Elez Reuveni, the acting deputy director of the Immigration Litigation Division, it is said to have been suspended by the Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche because he did not follow a command from your superiors.

This comes after Reuveni was promoted just two weeks ago. He is one of several career officials who have been undertone, suspension, transfer or discharged because he did not follow directions from Trump appointments.

Attorney -General Pam Bondi said the Times, “In my guidance, every lawyer of the Justice Department must be diligently pleaded.”

“Any lawyer who does not stick to this direction will have consequences,” she added.

Reuvani appeared in court on Friday, where a federal judge asked him if the deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia should have taken place. The lawyer admitted that Garcia, who had a court order to let him stay in the US, should not have been deported, adding that he was frustrated when he received the case.

Reuvani asked the judge for 24 hours to try to persuade the Trump administration to start the process of bringing back Abrego Garcia. But within the 24 hours, Blanche claimed that Reuvani had a prejudice to your client.

The 15-year-old veteran of the Justice Department was suspended with payment and blocked from his work email. The letter did not say how long he would be on leave or if he were disciplined.

Judge Paula Xinis in Washington argued that officials acted without “legal basis” when they continued Abrego Garcia and sent him to a megaprison in El Salvador without the necessary process, giving the administration until the end of Monday to bring him back.

The Justice Department on Saturday requested that the federal appeal court above Xinis interrupt her order.

“The order is indefensible,” the lawyers wrote. “It is especially the defendants to do something they have no independent authority to do: to release El Salvador Abrego Garcia and send him to America.”

The department has accused Abrego Garcia of being a member of MS-13, a gang that is active in several countries with Salvadoran roots. However, the department provided little evidence to support their claims, which rejected Abrego Garcia.

“In a court of law, when someone is accused of membership in such a violent and predator organization, it comes in the form of an indictment, complaint, criminal process – a robust process, so that we can address the facts,” Xinis said during a Friday trial. “I haven’t heard of the government yet.”