DOJ Attorney Benched After Outburst Over Wrongful Deportation Case

“He shouldn’t have been sent to El Salvador,” DOJ attorney tells court before being placed on leave.

The Justice Department has placed a senior immigration attorney on administrative leave after he expressed visible frustration in court over the mistaken deportation of a Maryland man to El Salvador—a move that violated a standing court order.

Erez Reuveni, a government lawyer handling immigration litigation, openly admitted in court that he couldn’t get clear answers from his own department about how Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia—a father of three—was deported despite a judge’s explicit order blocking his removal.

“Our only arguments are jurisdictional… He should not have been sent to El Salvador,” Reuveni told the judge. When pressed on why the U.S. hasn’t simply requested Abrego Garcia’s return, he responded candidly: “The first thing I did when I got this case on my desk is ask my clients the same question.” He said he never received a direct response.

That moment of transparency may have cost him his job—at least temporarily. Attorney General Pam Bondi swiftly criticized Reuveni’s courtroom remarks, issuing a stern statement:

“At my direction, every Department of Justice attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States. Any attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences.”

The same day, Reuveni was placed on administrative leave. So was his supervisor, August Flentje, who, according to sources, was faulted for failing to properly oversee Reuveni’s handling of the case. Flentje is a prominent DOJ figure known for defending the Trump administration’s controversial travel ban.

The heart of the issue lies in a March deportation that federal officials now acknowledge was a mistake. According to a filing from the Trump administration, Abrego Garcia was wrongfully deported on March 15 due to what they called “an administrative error”—even though Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was aware he had legal protection against removal.

It was the first time the administration publicly admitted fault in its recent string of deportation flights to El Salvador—flights that have now come under intense legal scrutiny.

Adding urgency to the matter, a federal judge in Maryland has ordered the U.S. government to return Abrego Garcia by Monday night. But DOJ lawyers filed an emergency motion on Saturday, attempting to block the order, arguing that they cannot retrieve him because he is now in Salvadoran custody.

Abrego Garcia’s story is drawing public sympathy. Fleeing gang violence more than a decade ago, he settled in Maryland and started a family. His wife recently identified him in a photograph of detainees arriving at El Salvador’s infamous mega prison, CECOT—a facility known for housing thousands under harsh conditions.

This unfolding case highlights a deep tension within the DOJ over how attorneys handle controversial immigration cases. Reuveni, who had only recently been promoted to acting deputy director at the Office of Immigration Litigation, now finds himself on the sidelines.

Whether his candid approach will be seen as insubordination or integrity remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: this mistaken deportation has sparked a legal and political firestorm that shows no signs of cooling.