Judge Issues Strongly Worded Order, Trump Admin Responds with Strongly Worded Shrug
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a bold move to reassert the relevance of federal courts, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis issued a sharply worded order Tuesday demanding that the Trump administration stop pretending court rulings are just junk mail.
“Their boilerplate privilege claims are no longer acceptable,” Xinis declared, having apparently not read the room in three months. She gave the administration until 6 p.m. Wednesday to comply, marking the 29th arbitrary court deadline of the year thus far.
The dispute centers on Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man deported to El Salvador despite multiple rulings demanding his return. Trump officials have cited various reasons for noncompliance, including “national secrecy,” “attorney-client privilege,” and “we just don’t feel like it.”
The Trump admin reviewed the order and responded with a 14-word statement: “We appreciate the judge’s feedback and will take it under immediate advisement. Lol.”
Legal scholars say the case highlights a constitutional crisis, as federal courts are increasingly treated as Yelp reviewers for a government that refuses to acknowledge they exist.
“The courts have spoken,” one senior Trump official said. “We listened. We just didn’t care.”