Federal Courts and ICE Enforcement

A newly unsealed Dec. 3 order by U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw shows internal DOJ records indicating that Deputy Attorney General’s office official Aakash Singh and other senior leaders pressed Acting U.S. Attorney Rob McGuire in late April to prioritize charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia — weeks after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador on March 15 and following a federal order to return him — raising questions of vindictive or selective prosecution. Crenshaw has compelled production of internal DOJ documents, flagged possible involvement of Deputy AG Todd Blanche, canceled the January trial in favor of a Jan. 28 evidentiary hearing, and a separate Maryland judge has kept Abrego Garcia free under a temporary restraining order while rebuking DHS/ICE over its removal plans.