The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has taken disciplinary action against attorney Erez Reuveni, placing him on administrative leave for his admission in court regarding a wrongful deportation. Reuveni acknowledged an administrative error by the DOJ that led to the removal of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national fleeing gang violence, from the United States. His admission was seen as a failure to adequately represent the government’s position (The Hill).
Garcia had entered the U.S. illegally, seeking asylum and protection due to threats from El Salvador’s notorious gang, Barrio 18. In October 2019, the Board of Immigration Appeals granted him “withholding of removal,” offering protection from deportation due to a high probability of persecution. However, this decision, which went unchallenged by the Department of Homeland Security, was not upheld, leading to Garcia’s arrest and deportation by ICE without a warrant.
Subsequent to Reuveni’s suspension, federal judge Paula Xinis ordered Garcia’s return to the U.S., criticizing the DOJ for violating procedural protections outlined in the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment. Xinis emphasized the DOJ’s lack of initiative in rectifying Garcia’s situation and highlighted the inhumane conditions he faced at the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador, where detainees are intentionally mixed with rival gang members.
This development follows Xinis’s earlier injunction demanding Garcia’s immediate return, a directive which the DOJ is currently contesting in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Meanwhile, alongside Reuveni, his supervisor, August Flentje, has also been placed on administrative leave amidst criticisms of not advocating vigorously for the government’s stance in this case.
For further details, read the full article on JURIST.