Bondi Acts Fast: DOJ Lawyers Suspended Over Case Misstep
The Department of Justice has placed two senior immigration attorneys on administrative leave following a contentious court hearing over a wrongful deportation case that ended in a stinging rebuke from a federal judge. The suspensions came after one of the attorneys admitted frustration with the administration’s handling of the deportation and struggled to defend the government’s position in court.
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed in a statement Saturday that Erez Reuveni, acting deputy director for the Office of Immigration Litigation, had been suspended for failing to adequately represent the government’s interests in the high-profile case. “At my direction, every Department of Justice attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States. Any attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences,” Bondi stated, according to USA Today.
Sources familiar with the matter told ABC News that a second official, August Flentje, Reuveni’s supervisor and deputy director of the Office of Immigration Litigation, was also placed on paid administrative leave for “failure to supervise a subordinate.” Both suspensions came just one day after a federal court hearing that exposed serious flaws in the administration’s deportation procedures.
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Judge Orders Wrongfully Deported Man Returned
The suspensions stem from Friday’s hearing before U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, who ordered the government to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States by 11:59 p.m. Monday. The 29-year-old Maryland resident was mistakenly deported to El Salvador last month despite having previously won a court order barring his removal from the country.
Judge Xinis, an Obama appointee, ruled the Trump administration had acted illegally in deporting Abrego Garcia, rejecting the government’s claim that it lacked jurisdiction to bring him back because he is now in a foreign country. “If federal authorities were able to strike terms and conditions for his placement in El Salvador, then certainly they have the functional control to unwind the decision — the wrong decision,” Xinis stated during the hearing.
The case has drawn national attention as one of hundreds of expedited deportations carried out under President Trump’s invocation of the seldom-used 1798 Alien Enemies Act. While the administration has targeted alleged members of criminal gangs MS-13 and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, the judge questioned the government’s unsupported claim that Abrego Garcia belonged to MS-13.
Do you support Attorney General Pam Bondi going after every protestor vandalizing Property in DC ?
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Attorney’s Courtroom Frustration Leads to Suspension
During Friday’s hearing, Reuveni openly expressed exasperation with the administration’s handling of the case, telling Judge Xinis: “My answer to a lot of these questions is going to be frustrating, and I am frustrated. The government made a choice here to produce no evidence.”
When pressed for details about the legal authority under which law enforcement officers had seized Abrego Garcia, Reuveni admitted, “Your honor, my answer to a lot of these questions is going to be frustrating, and I’m also frustrated that I have no answers for you on a lot of these questions.”
The Justice Department acknowledged in court records earlier in the week that Garcia’s deportation was the result of an “administrative error.” Abrego Garcia, who had fled El Salvador as a teenager to escape gang violence, was pulled over by federal immigration agents near his home in Beltsville, Maryland, on March 12. Three days later, he was expelled and sent to El Salvador, where he is currently being held in prison.
Government Appeals Judge’s Order
Despite admitting the deportation was a mistake, the administration has appealed Judge Xinis’s decision to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. The appellate brief submitted Saturday morning bears Flentje’s electronic signature, though he had already been placed on administrative leave by that time.
Legal experts have noted the unusual nature of the Justice Department suspending attorneys for failing to vigorously defend a position the government has already admitted was erroneous. The case raises questions about the administration’s commitment to correcting its acknowledged mistakes versus defending executive authority at all costs.
With the Monday deadline approaching, it remains unclear whether the administration will comply with the court order to return Abrego Garcia to U.S. soil or continue fighting the case through the appeals process. Meanwhile, Abrego Garcia remains in what Judge Xinis described as a “violent El Salvador prison” as the legal battle over his wrongful deportation continues.
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