Hearing on Abrego Garcia’s Liberia Deportation Canceled

A federal hearing on the Trump administration’s effort to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Liberia was canceled Oct. 6 after he arrived at the courtroom, leaving a dispute over his possible removal unresolved. The reason for the cancellation was not clear, and no new hearing date was reported. The hearing before U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland had been scheduled to address competing requests over an order blocking Abrego Garcia’s detention and deportation to Liberia. The administration asked Xinis to lift the preliminary injunction, while Abrego Garcia’s lawyers sought to make the protection permanent. A court official announced the cancellation after a delay, and the courtroom was cleared, according to courtroom reporting. In court filings, the Justice Department argued that Abrego Garcia’s claims fail as a matter of law. His lawyers contended that the administration was using its immigration powers to punish him for challenging his earlier removal to El Salvador. Those are opposing legal positions; the canceled hearing did not resolve them.