DOJ places senior lawyer on leave in case of mistakenly deported man
The Justice Department has placed on indefinite paid leave the attorney who argued on behalf of the government on Friday in a lawsuit brought by a Maryland man who was deported to El Salvador in error, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Sources said Erez Reuveni, the acting deputy director for the Office of Immigration Litigation, was told by officials at the DOJ that he was being placed on leave over a "failure to zealously advocate" for the government's interests.
"At my direction, every Department of Justice attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement on Saturday. "Any attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences."
The Justice Department has also placed the deputy director of the Office of Immigration Litigation on paid administrative leave, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
August Flentje, who was Reuveni's supervisor, was placed on administrative leave Saturday by officials at Main Justice for "failure to supervise a subordinate," according to the sources.
The appellate brief that was submitted to the 4th Circuit Saturday morning bears Flentje's electronic signature.
Justice Department officials did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
The government is seeking to appeal an order from the judge who presided over Friday's hearing and ordered the department to facilitate the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia by Monday.
In Friday's hearing, Reuveni repeatedly struggled when pressed by Judge Paula Xinis of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland for details surrounding Abrego Garcia's deportation -- and why the administration claimed it could not facilitate his return to the United States.
At one point in the hearing, Reuveni was asked by Xinis under what authority law enforcement officers seized Abrego Garcia.
Reuveni said he was frustrated that he did not have those answers.
"Your honor, my answer to a lot of these questions is going to be frustrating, and I'm also frustrated that I have no answers for you on a lot of these questions," Reuveni said.
