A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to show evidence of the actions it has taken to “facilitate” Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s return. Joe Biden makes his first public post-presidency speech. And New Mexico authorities release details of their investigation into Gene Hackman’s death.
Here’s what to know today.
Judge in Abrego Garcia case indicates she’s weighing contempt proceedings
The federal judge presiding over the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to a prison in El Salvador, ordered the Trump administration to turn over evidence at the end of the month detailing their efforts to “facilitate” his return to the U.S., saying the government had not shown her anything of note on that front so far.
If the Trump administration does not comply, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis said Abrego Garcia’s lawyers “are free to seek separate sanctions on an expedited basis.”
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Attorneys for Abrego Garcia had asked that the administration be found in contempt over its inaction. At yesterday’s hearing, Xinis said she wants to review the evidence the administration submits before ruling on the matter.
In remarks before the hearing, Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, said she “prays for the day” her husband returns home and encouraged him to stay strong.
Government lawyers previously said Abrego Garcia was taken to the notorious prison as a result of an “administrative error.” But this week, President Donald Trump and his administration have denied making any mistake, alleging Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang and accusing him of human trafficking without providing evidence to support the claims.
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said in an Oval Office meeting on Monday that he wouldn’t send Abrego Garcia back to the U.S., an assertion that a Justice Department official tried to use as evidence in yesterday’s hearing of the U.S. government’s efforts to comply with the order to “facilitate” a return.
Meanwhile, Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said he will travel to El Salvador today to push for Abrego Garcia’s release and check on his wellbeing.
Read the full story here.
More immigration news:
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Abrego Garcia’s case shows the Trump administration is willing to push the edge of the legal envelope to meet its mass deportation goal. It’s just one example of how the president has created a pressure campaign targeting undocumented immigrants through raids and arrests, threats to those who fail to register with the government, executive actions and more.
Biden goes on the attack in first public post-presidency speech
Former President Joe Biden has broken his silence since leaving office in January and took aim at Trump’s “breathtaking” actions in the past few months. Biden never mentioned Trump by name in the 30-minute speech before disability advocates in Chicago, instead referring to him as “this guy,” as he rebuked the current administration’s approach to Social Security and criticized Elon Musk’s recent criticism of the program as “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.”
At times, it was difficult to hear Biden, senior political reporter Natasha Korecki noted, so much so that those in the room remained still and quiet to hear him speak. A White House spokesperson said Biden’s speech was “incoherent” and showed he had a “feeble mind.” Read the full story here.
More politics news:
What investigators found on Gene Hackman’s property
A state assessment after the deaths of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa in February found rodents on the couple’s sprawling New Mexico property but concluded their main quarters had not been infested.
Hackman, 95, died from cardiovascular disease, and Arakawa, 65, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which spreads to humans only by contact with rodents or their urine and droppings.
According to a state report, inspectors found dead rodents and rodent feces in a detached garage and rodent feces in the property’s two guest houses and in its detached storage facilities. They also found a rodent nest, a live rodent and a dead rodent among various vehicles on the property.
Documents and body camera footage from the investigation into Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths also included information about Arakawa’s last-known whereabouts, statements from Hackman’s adult daughters and video showing one of the two surviving dogs staying by Arakawa’s side. Read the full story here.
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Staff Pick: Harvard’s head-turning stance against the Trump administration
People walk through the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 15.
For weeks, the government has threatened elite universities with the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars if they didn’t agree to sweeping concessions. Harvard fought back this week, calling the government’s demands unconstitutional and refusing to comply. Because it’s Harvard, the most influential university in the world, the move had particular resonance. I spoke with several people in the academic world who predict that this will cause other colleges to follow suit and, as one put it, “grow a spine.” Some Harvard faculty members seem to agree. One professor told my colleague Matt Lavietes, “If Harvard can’t do it, then who can?” — Tyler Kingkade, national reporter
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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
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