The Department of Justice accuses the best immigration lawyer of not following the orders

An immigration lawyer of the Senior Justice Department was put on an indefinite leave on Saturday after questioning the decision of the Trump administration to expel a Maryland man in El Salvador, one day after representing the government in court.

Deputy Prosecutor General Todd Blanche suspended Erez Reuveni, deputy director of the acting of the Division Division for immigration of the Department, for not having “followed a directive from your superiors”, according to a letter sent to Mr. Reuveni and obtained from the New York Times.

Mr. Reuveni-What was praised as a “high-level” prosecutor by his superiors in an e-mail that announces his promotion two weeks ago is the last career official to be suspended, relegated, transferred or fired for having refused to conform to a directive of the nominated names of President Trump to take actions that they consider improper or non-ethical.

“In my direction, every lawyer of the Department of Justice is required to support with Zelo in favor of the United States,” wrote the prosecutor General Pam Bondi in a declaration sent to the Times on Saturday. “Any lawyer who cannot respect this direction will face the consequences”.

Under interrogation by a federal judge on Friday, Reuveni admitted that the deportation last month Kilmar Armando Abrego Garciawho had an order of the court that allowed him to remain in the United States, would never take place. Mr. Reuveni also said he was frustrated when the case landed on his desk.

Reuveni, a respectable 15 -year veteran of the immigration division, asked the judge for 24 hours to persuade his “customer”, the Trump administration, to start the recovery and review process of Mr. Abrego Garcia.

Less than 24 hours later, Blanche, former criminal defense lawyer of President Trump, accused Mr. Reuveni to “engage in prejudicial conduct for your client”. Mr. Blanche suspended Mr. Reuveni with the salary, interrupted access to his E -workmail and blocked him to carry out any duties relating to his work.

The judge if Paula Xinis of the Federal District Court in Maryland said that the officials had Acted without “legal base” When they arrested Mr. Abrego Garcia, they put him on a plane and sent him to a notorious Salvadoran Megaprison without a fair trial or a substantial test that had done something to deserve this treatment.

He gave the administration until the end of Monday to return it to the United States.

On Saturday morning, the Department of Justice asked the Federal Court of Appeal which is located on judge Xinis to pause his order to bring Mr. Abrego Garcia back, saying that it was neither “possible nor correct”.

“That order is indefensible,” wrote the lawyers of the department. “First of all, he commands the defendants to do something that do not have an independent authority to do: get El Salvador Abrego Garcia and send him to America.”

Previously judicial documents, the Department of Justice has accused Mr. Abrego Garcia, 29, of belonging to MS-13, a transnational band with roots in El Salvador. But the officials offered only limited tests in support of their statements and Mr. Abrego Garcia denied them.

During Friday hearing, judge Xinis expressed skepticism on a connection between Mr. Abrego Garcia and MS-13, observing that there were few tests that belonged to the band.

“In a court, when someone is accused of appearing in such a violent and predatory organization, he presents himself in the form of an accusation, denunciation, criminal proceeding – a robust trial, so that he can face the facts,” said judge Xinis. “I haven’t heard it yet by the government.”

The letter to Mr. Reuveni did not clarify how long he would have been put on leave or if he should face disciplinary action.

Mr. Reuveni, unlike other career public ministries targeted by Mr. Blanche and his deputy, Emil Bove, previously earned praise for the execution of elements of the immigration agenda of Mr. Trump.

In an e -mail on March 21, announced the promotion of Mr. Reuveni to the deputy director of the Department of Litigation for the immigration of the Department, his boss, designed C. Lyhyign, praised him for having worked on cases presented against the cities of the sanctuary accused of challenging the federal laws on immigration and for having contributed in general to expand the disposal of the department.

“I want to thank those who presented interest in the acting positions – we had exceptional choices, which help to show the excellent caliber of our team,” wrote Mr. Ensign.

Mr. Listign managed a separate case of immigration, one in which he defended the use of the Trump administration of a rarely invoked war law administration, the Alien Enemies Act, to summarize dozens of Venezuelan migrants summarized accused of belonging to the Tren de Aragua road band.

Alan Feuer Contributed relationships.