Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant, is at the center of a legal battle after being wrongly deported. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis granted a request from Garcia's attorneys to file a motion for sanctions against the government. This decision follows the government's failure to comply with discovery requests related to Garcia's case.

In April, Judge Xinis ordered the Trump administration to provide evidence detailing the process that led to Garcia's deportation. Despite a 2019 court order that prohibited his removal due to fears of persecution, Garcia was deported to El Salvador in March. The Trump administration claimed he was affiliated with the criminal gang MS-13, a claim that his wife and attorneys vehemently deny.

The judge's recent order comes after Garcia's legal team reported that the government's discovery productions included "highly redacted internal messages" and materials marked as "Confidential or Attorney's Eyes Only" without proper justification. Judge Xinis has directed the government to respond to the motion within seven days.

Additionally, the judge ordered the unsealing of several documents related to the expedited discovery process, including a transcript from a nonpublic hearing held on April 30.

Garcia's attorneys have been vocal in their opposition to the government's motion to dismiss the case, labeling it a "jurisdictional gambit." They argue that the government is suggesting that federal officers can unlawfully deport residents and place them in foreign prisons without any judicial oversight.

In their filing, the attorneys stated, "This Court, the Fourth Circuit, and the Supreme Court each rejected that jurisdictional gambit." They emphasized that all three courts unanimously affirmed a preliminary injunction requiring the government to facilitate Garcia's return to the U.S.

The legal team also expressed concern that the government has not made sufficient efforts to ensure Garcia's return. They noted, "History shows that when the Government makes good faith efforts to facilitate someone's return, it succeeds."

In their 26-page response, Garcia's attorneys requested that the court shorten the government's time to file a reply brief from 14 days to seven days. They argued that further delays would only prolong the distress experienced by Garcia and his family, stating, "Further briefing on recycled arguments should not prolong a case that has already dragged on far too long for Abrego Garcia and his family."

As the case unfolds, the focus remains on the government's actions and the legal implications of Garcia's wrongful deportation.