The Trump administration has invoked the state secrets privilege in response to a federal judge’s demand for information about the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national at the center of an ongoing legal dispute.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis disclosed the development in an order issued Wednesday and directed the administration to submit a detailed legal briefing explaining the basis for the privilege claim. She also requested clarification on how the move might impact her ongoing inquiry into the administration’s handling of Abrego Garcia’s case.
This marks the second time in recent weeks that the Trump administration has used the state secrets privilege to block judicial scrutiny of deportations. In March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Attorney General Pam Bondi backed the use of the privilege after U.S. District Judge James Boasberg sought information about deportation flights to El Salvador conducted under a seldom-invoked presidential war power.
Judge Xinis, appointed during the Obama administration, has set a Monday deadline for the administration’s legal briefing and will hold a hearing in her Maryland courtroom next week. The issue arises as attorneys for Abrego Garcia continue deposing Trump officials to uncover details surrounding the deportation.
