In a courtroom in Greenbelt, Maryland, the power of the presidency suddenly faced emptiness. A U.S. federal judge, cool and unyielding, looked at the Trump administration's lawyers and asked a simple, devastating question: “Where is the evidence?”
But instead of clarity, instead of transparency, the government’s representatives offered only fog and insinuations. The state secrets privilege, a weapon of the executive branch that can become a fortress in the hands of a president, transformed before the eyes of Judge Paula Xinis into a pitiful “Just trust us.”
This is the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the case of a man who is not allowed to return, even though the United States' highest court has ordered his return. A construction worker from Maryland, deported to El Salvador – a country that threatens him. But for the Trump administration, he is a pawn in a game no one is allowed to understand.
The government claims that revealing its efforts to bring Abrego Garcia back would endanger national security. Even Judge Xinis should not be allowed to know what steps have been taken, even in a confidential setting. But what Xinis saw was a spectacle of obfuscation.
“There are simply no details,” she said. “This is basically ‘Just trust me.’”
Jonathan Guynn, a Justice Department attorney, tried to reassure her, speaking of sensitive diplomatic negotiations, of risks, of the need to protect the trust of foreign governments. But his words evaporated in a room where mistrust grew.
A Man Between Power and Powerlessness.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose name is now a symbol of a legal battle far beyond his own story, was deported in March 2025 – despite a 2019 court ruling that was supposed to protect him from deportation. A gang in El Salvador had terrorized his family, and a U.S. judge had granted him protection. But under Trump, that protection became an empty promise.
His American wife filed a lawsuit, and Judge Xinis ordered his return. The Supreme Court upheld her decision. Yet the Trump administration refused to act. Instead, it speaks of national security threats – a pretext that grows more fragile by the day.
Secrets That Are Not
During the hearing, Xinis reminded the government that it needed to “show a little more.” Not every detail, not every confidential piece of information – but enough to convince the court that there is indeed something worth protecting. But the lawyers remained stubborn. They claimed to have submitted 1,027 pages of documents. Yet Xinis remained unimpressed.
“There are simply no details.”
Abrego Garcia’s lawyers went even further. They accused the Trump administration of making “no slightest effort” to bring their client back. They pointed to Trump’s interview with ABC News, in which the president said he could bring Abrego Garcia back but would not.
“Even as the government speaks publicly about Abrego Garcia, it insists on secrecy in this case,” the lawyers wrote to the court.
A State Secret or a Disgrace?
For the Trump administration, the case is a diplomatic nightmare, they claim. If it became known what talks they were holding, other countries might lose trust, and cooperation could suffer. But for Judge Xinis, this argument remains a shell without substance.
The government cannot claim to be trying to bring Abrego Garcia back while simultaneously hiding all information about it in court. “This is simply not convincing,” the judge repeated.
Today Is Not Trump’s Day
The courtroom in Greenbelt is a small, unadorned room. No flags, no presidential shine. Yet here, the power of the presidency lost its luster. Here, in the sober language of the law, in the demand for evidence, in the refusal to accept a mere “Trust us.”
For Kilmar Abrego Garcia, it is a tiny glimmer of hope in a drama that has destroyed his life and the life of his family. For the Trump administration, it is a moment of disgrace. And for the United States, it is a reminder that even the most powerful institutions cannot hide behind secrets.
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