Grand Theft America / Receipt power-2025-04-10-029
The administration deports a protected man, then resists bringing him back
Kilmar Abrego Garcia is deported to El Salvador despite a 2019 immigration-court order expressly prohibiting his removal there; the government concedes an "administrative error." A unanimous Supreme Court leaves in place an order to facilitate his return. The administration resists for weeks before bringing him back on June 6 to face smuggling charges—which a federal judge later dismisses, finding the investigation "tainted" and the administration unable to rebut a presumption of vindictiveness.
What happened
Kilmar Abrego Garcia is deported to El Salvador despite a 2019 immigration-court order expressly prohibiting his removal there; the government concedes an "administrative error." A unanimous Supreme Court leaves in place an order to facilitate his return. The administration resists for weeks before bringing him back on June 6 to face smuggling charges—which a federal judge later dismisses, finding the investigation "tainted" and the administration unable to rebut a presumption of vindictiveness.
Why it matters
Courts, independent agencies and the legal profession are supposed to enforce rules that bind the president too. Weakening them makes accountability harder. It is tracked here under “Defy, slow-walk, or evade court orders”; the classification describes the documented institutional risk, not a claim about motive.
Receipt details
- Phase 1
- Capture the referees
- Defy, slow-walk, or evade court orders
