❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against Maryland’s federal judiciary over an order that temporarily halts deportations of illegal immigrants who file legal challenges.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The DOJ, Maryland’s federal judges, Chief Judge George Russell, Judge Paula Xinis, and Governor Wes Moore (D).
📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was filed recently in response to a federal court order in Maryland.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This is just the latest action by [Attorney General Pam Bondi’s] DOJ to rein in unlawful judicial overreach.” – DOJ spokesman Chad Gilmartin.
🎯IMPACT: The legal battle highlights growing tensions between the executive branch and the judiciary over immigration enforcement and judicial activism.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against Maryland’s federal judges, challenging an order that prevents the deportation of illegal immigrants for at least one day after they file legal challenges to their detention. The lawsuit specifically targets Chief Judge George Russell’s directive, which grants a temporary stay of deportation to detainees who claim wrongful detention.
Chad Gilmartin, spokesman for Attorney General Pam Bondi, stated on X, “This is just the latest action by [Attorney General Pam Bondi’s] DOJ to rein in unlawful judicial overreach.” The legal dispute underscores the administration’s broader efforts to assert control over immigration policy and push back against judicial interference.
The Maryland federal court recently became a focal point in immigration debates when Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an El Salvadoran national, was deported and later returned to the U.S. following a Supreme Court order. Abrego Garcia now faces charges of unlawfully trafficking illegal immigrants. Judge Paula Xinis, overseeing his case, is considering sanctions against government officials for initially refusing to release him from custody.
The Justice Department argues that such judicial orders represent an “unlawful, antidemocratic” use of power to restrain the executive branch. “A sense of frustration and a desire for greater convenience do not give defendants license to flout the law,” DOJ attorneys wrote in their filing. “Nor does their status within the judicial branch.”
The lawsuit has drawn criticism from Maryland’s Democratic Governor, Wes Moore, who called it “a transparent effort to intimidate judges and usurp the power of the courts.”
This is just the latest action by @AGPamBondi’s DOJ to rein in unlawful judicial overreach https://t.co/o0Vvp3pHZZ
— Chad Gilmartin (@ChadGilmartinCA) June 25, 2025
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