BREAKING: Chief Justice Roberts has indefinitely blocked the court order requiring Kilmar Abrego Garcia's return tonight

[In It to Win It]

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/07/abrego-garcia-case-trump-deportation-el-salvador-00276237

BREAKING: Chief Justice Roberts has indefinitely blocked the court order requiring Kilmar Abrego Garcia's return tonight. https://politico.com/news/2025/04/07/abrego-garcia-case-trump-deportation-el-salvador-00276237

Link to tweet

[Tickle]

1. I'm not surprised are you? NT

[BOSSHOG]

4. Saddened

What have we become?

[Tickle]

5. I feel horrible 😭 NT

[UniqueUserName]

7. Yes, yes, I am surprised. I knew that he was an abhorrent piece of excrement, but I thought maybe CJ had some . . .

. . . sense of rule of law.

[newdeal2]

11. I'm a bit surprised too

My bad. I should always expect the worst.

[Tadpole Raisin]

21. That's what I guessed they would do in another thread and

then hang on until the very end of the term to make a decision.

Except now I’ll add they will either make some narrow ruling that doesn’t clarify anything or send it back down for clearer analysis.

This is the felon’s criminal decision all over again. Help him delay and give him the ultimate victory. Hell the guy might suddenly die of ‘natural causes’ before they get it right.

These conservative justices are true sadists in their ivory tower with their wine and cheese theoretical discussions of the law.

Worst group of justices in SCOTUS EVER!!!

[Baitball Blogger]

25. Yes. I'm surprised.

The only way they can approve this is if they concede that Trump's power is absolute. Which makes me wonder, if we win the next election can we send all the conservative judges to El Salvador jails without due process? I'm pretty sure that no one will miss them.

[Conjuay]

50. Right?

the conservatives would be screaming like they’re being skinned alive!

[RANDYWILDMAN]

36. Scruples, Roberts never had them

and looks like he never will. Forcing him to do the right thing is almost impossible.

phuck Bush v Gore and all the mayhem is has brought.....

[onenote]

40. I'm not surprised because this probably is the best outcome we could hope for.

See post #39.

[Chasstev365]

2. WTF?

Citizen's United
Presidential Immunity
Now this?

[Quiet Em]

3. Why?

What a bunch of BS.

[AllyCat]

6. This man and this Court (except 3) are full-on MAGA. Cruel, evil, and yet

...subordinate. They have completely capitulated their positions to a tyrant.

Cowards. They should all resign and never show their faces in public again.

[bluestarone]

8. Fucking amazing how FAST they protect TSF!!

When fuck head asks, the supreme court jumps then BOWS before the GOLDEN KING!!!

[Kid Berwyn]

68. They turned a 2-month trial into a 4-year delay.

And Putin won, again.

[Tickle]

9. Day 78, imagine day 178. NT

[Wednesdays]

13. Imagine day 1178

If we even survive that long.

[Tickle]

24. I can't imagine that far

I don't think the planet will make it.

[NCDem47]

10. They don't want him back.

Something is up.

He’s a massive liability to them should he come back unharmed.

[yardwork]

12. I'm sure he's harmed. That's what they don't want the world to know.

So horrible.

[highplainsdem]

18. That's my take, too.

[FHRRK]

27. At best he is harmed

More likely he is dead.

[elocs]

43. I've thought that calling for his return would turn out to be his death warrant. n/t

[Tickle]

31. I am starting to think that way

What next?

[LoisB]

14. kipande cha uchafu

Swahili if anyone is interested.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

15. Arggh

Link to tweet

[Thrill]

16. Stuff like this needed to happen so

Hispanics that were running to support and vote for this clown, can see what the Republican Party is really about.

[Irish_Dem]

17. Every one in the US is now fair game.

Any one of us can be disappeared in broad daylight by men in masks.

[Hope22]

20. This is true!!

Sickening!

[Efilroft Sul]

29. Including the Supreme Court. Because what the hell does he need them for now anyway?

[Irish_Dem]

35. Yes if they cross him they could get disappeared too.

[returnee]

19. Well, fuck him. n/t

[spanone]

22. He's miles above the law.

May god damn mr. roberts.

[madaboutharry]

23. That is not what has happened.

The Supreme Court on Monday temporarily paused a federal judge's midnight deadline to return a Salvadorian national who was mistakenly deported while the justices weigh the case.

Chief Justice John Roberts set a 5pm Tuesday deadline for a response from Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia's attorney after the Trump administration argued the lower court order improperly imposed on the president's foreign policy powers.

I am the last person to defend the SC. But it is important to report the news accurately.

I have no idea who Kyle Cheney is, but he needs to learn how to read.

https://www.axios.com/2025/04/07/supreme-court-wrongfully-deported-el-salvador

[Baitball Blogger]

26. I hope you're right.

[madaboutharry]

28. It is stated right in Robert's order.

It is further ordered that a response to the application be filed on or before Tuesday, April
8th, 2025, by 5 p.m. (EDT).
/s/ John G. Roberts, Jr.
Chief Justice of the United States Dated this 7th
day of April 2025.

[UniqueUserName]

33. Even if you are correct, it is still a travesty of justice.

The deported man's attorney must respond by 5PM today why the deported man should be immediately returned and given due process?

[madaboutharry]

45. 5 pm Tuesday, that is tomorrow.

And that is not an unusual time frame for a case like this.

[ancianita]

58. Yes, but that statement in no way guarantees a ruling. Only a response. A ruling might not follow

for any reasons, e.g., until a hearing is scheduled, and trump lawyers keep making motions for delay, etc.

Bottom line, from this sentence, no ruling is implied as forthcoming.

[Butterflylady]

56. Yes, he is correct...

Meidastouch Network Legal Michael Popok, was on this morning and said this was what Roberts would do. The other side has till 5 PM April 8th to respond which I'm sure they will.

[orangecrush]

30. Thank you

[dpibel]

34. I believe you are confused

There are two separate actions in Roberts' order:

1. The order of the lower court (that Garcia be returned to the US by midnight tonight) is "stayed pending further order of the undersigned or of the Court." That is an indefinite stay.

2. Garcia's attorney has 24 hours to respond to the Administration's petition.

Are you thinking that, somehow, the response of April 8 is the extent of the stay of the order?

Because it's pretty clearly not.

[madaboutharry]

47. I am not confused and neither is Andrew Weissmann.

He was just on MSNBC and said that no one should get excited about this order and that is a very normal thing for the SC to give such an order. This is how the legal system works. Courts want their own pleadings.

The OP quoted someone who reported that Roberts issued "an indefinite stay." He did not.

[senseandsensibility]

49. I think we're all trying to make sense of this

in real time, but I trust Weisman's analysis. I doubt he would go on live TV with his expertise and say something untrue.

[muriel_volestrangler]

59. If you don't think the stay is indefinite, then what is the definite length of stay you think is imposed? (nt)

[dpibel]

60. "Until further order"

That is how long the lower court's order is stayed, and that is an indefinite period.

[angrychair]

61. They could have just let it happen

It had already been upheld by the Appeals Court. The only reason to interject themselves into this is to give legal cover to their orange master. They are going to make it legal for him to disappear people.

[Bread and Circuses]

32. No surprise. We no longer have a Constitution democracy

[Arazi]

37. I'd bet Garcia dies before this case reaches resolution

Trump has no incentive to keep him alive and Bukele has (I’m sure) been told Garcia’s an MS13 gang member so killing him wouldn’t trouble him one bit.

Bet he even gets a bonu$

[Meowmee]

38. He is a corrupt POS

Terrible. I hope one day there is accountability for all of this and these people all wind up in prison. But I have no hope for that because look what has happened already.

[onenote]

39. I know folks are pissed, but it would have been worse if he had denied the stay request

Most folks here have no experience with, and thus no understanding of Supreme Court procedure. FWIW, I have both.

If Roberts had denied the administrations emergency stay request, Trump could've immediately re-flied the request with any Justice he chose. It doesn't take a crystal ball to know that he would've gone to Thomas and that Thomas would have granted the stay. Roberts has fast-tracked the matter, requesting a response by 5 pm tomorrow. If it had been put into Thomas' hands, he could have slow-rolled the case.

So, this probably is the best outcome one could expect.

[UniqueUserName]

44. Thanks for that explanation. /NT

[C_U_L8R]

53. We're so fortunate to have smart folks here on DU

Thank you, onenote!

[onenote]

55. To clarify -- I'm not predicting how the full court will rule, or what position Roberts will take.

Just noting that Roberts' decision isn't the end of the story and that it leaves me with at least a bit more hope than if Thomas was running the case.

[bluestarone]

63. Okk, so why did roberts allow full court to do this?

Garcia's lawyers were given until 5pm tomorrow. WTH? Do they have any recourse?

[onenote]

64. I'll try again. If Roberts denied the stay, Thomas would have granted it.

So Roberts granted the stay and was able to set the schedule.

[bluestarone]

66. What i'm trying to understand, is why did Roberts give Garcia's lawyers until 5 pm Today to respond, but then

Go ahead to the full SC before they could respond? THEN on top of that HE joined in with the right to give TSF a win? My thinking is why did the full court here it BEFORE garcia's lawyers could respond?

[onenote]

67. The full court hasn't decided anything with respect to Garcia's case.

Roberts, acting as the Justice assigned to the relevant circuit, issued an "administrative" stay of the lower court order and gave Garcia an opportunity to reply to the stay request. At this point, Roberts alone might decide to grant or deny the stay request or he might refer it to the full Court. But he hasn't done either of those things yet.

Here is the full docket:

Apr 07 2025 Application (24A949) to vacate injunction entered by the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, submitted to The Chief Justice.
Apr 07 2025 Order entered by The Chief Justice: Upon consideration of the application of counsel for the applicants, it is ordered that the April 4, 2025 order of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, case No. 8:25-cv-951, is hereby stayed pending further order of The Chief Justice or of the Court. It is further ordered that a response to the application be filed on or before Tuesday, April 8th, 2025, by 5 p.m. (EDT).
Apr 07 2025 Letter of Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, et al. submitted.
Apr 07 2025 Response of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, et al. to application submitted.

I think you are conflating two different cases: the case seeking for Garcia's return, which was ruled on initially by Judge Xinis of the US District Court for the District of Maryland and the case regarding Trump's invocation of the Alien Enemies Deportation Act which is before Judge Boasberg or the US District Court for the District of Columbia.

[bluestarone]

70. So confusing. Hope you're not taking that i'm arguing with you. Just trying to understand decisions coming down.

Just seems like the SC acted extremely FAST on the older law, with Roberts joining the right. Also saying (if i'm right) that a immigrant taken (arrested) like in Minnesota has to be tried in Texas? (knowing the 5th circuit will hear appeals) TSF has 6 judges on the 5th circuit i think. Why Texas? Anyway i do thank you for helping me try to understand this lawlessness. (seems like we are back in the 1800's where the rich owned the courts and judges.)

[onenote]

71. Agree it can be confusing.

And while it may seem like the Court acted faster on the Boasberg case, in fact the application to stay that order was filed by Trump back on March 28. Roberts didn't issue an administrative stay in that instance, but did immediately give the threatened deportees until April 1 to respond. Trump replied on April 2 and Roberts then referred the case to the full court which issued its decision yesterday.

[elocs]

41. Roberts has tipped his hand as to which way he will be ruling. No more unexpected rulings

with Amy Coney Barrett joining with the Liberals. SCOTUS was realistically our main hope with that pairing.

[onenote]

42. Maybe not.

If he had denied the stay, it would have been refiled with Thomas who would have granted it. Roberts put the matter of a fast track. If he had denied it and left it in Thomas's hands it probably would have been slow-rolled.

[Renew Deal]

46. It looks like a 24 hour stay, not "indefinite."

[In It to Win It]

48. The stay is indefinite. We have no indication for when their next order would come lifting the stay.

[Renew Deal]

51. I see what you mean

[LetMyPeopleVote]

52. 'Don't look too much into it': Expert downplays SCOTUS ruling as MAGA cheers 'huge win!'

This may only be a procedural stay

'Don’t look too much into it': Expert downplays SCOTUS ruling as MAGA cheers 'huge win!'

www.rawstory.com/supreme-cour...

— lucasmundus (@lucasmundus.bsky.social) 2025-04-07T21:34:35.924Z

Link to tweet

https://www.rawstory.com/supreme-court-2671687442/

A legal expert added some much-needed context to a ruling by Chief Justice John Roberts regarding a Maryland man mistakenly deported as a "criminal" to a prison in El Salvador, despite evidence.

Roberts ruled Monday to temporarily block a court order that would have required the Trump administration to return 29-year-old Kilmar Abrego García to the U.S. by 11:59 p.m. Monday. The Justice Department then filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court, leading to the Roberts decision.

For now, Garcia will remain in El Salvador.

New York Civil Rights attorney Andrew C. Laufer, Esq. explained on X, "It’s a typical procedural stay. Don’t look too much into it," but some social media users on the left expressed their outrage.

[question everything]

57. Then what?

[SheltieLover]

54. Wtf? What kind of kompromat does slobby have on him???

[usonian]

62. Roberts, you're next.

Pack your fucking toothbrush.

[Kid Berwyn]

69. And Putin's personal picks.

All three of them.

[AllaN01Bear]

65. !@#$%&*Z()_

[struggle4progress]

72. He seems to be jockeying for the Roland Freisler medal