ICE official struggles to answer questions about Abrego Garcia's potential deportation
Source: ABC News
ICE official struggles to answer questions about Abrego Garcia's potential deportation
The government is preparing to remove him to the West African nation of Liberia.
By Laura Romero and Emily Chang
November 20, 2025, 2:59 PM
A top ICE official struggled to answer questions about Kilmar Abrego Garcia's potential deportation during an evidentiary hearing on Thursday, and admitted that someone else helped draft his sworn declaration submitted in the case. ... John Cantu was called to testify about why the government is not planning to deport Abrego Garcia to Costa Rica and is instead preparing to remove him to the West African nation of Liberia.
When pressed by Abrego Garcia's attorneys about the contents of the sealed declaration regarding the government's communication with Costa Rica, their client's preferred country of removal, Cantu said he did not understand parts of his declaration.
Lawyers for Abrego Garcia, a native of El Salvador, accuse the government of having "cycled through" four third-country destinations -- Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana, and now Liberia -- without providing "the notice, opportunity to be heard and individualized assessment that due process requires."
After not being able to answer several questions from Abrego Garcia's attorneys, Cantu said he received "verbiage" for his declaration from a State Department attorney. ,,, "Sitting here today, you could not tell me whether anyone from the State Department has been in touch with Costa Rica since August 21, to determine whether communications have changed?" asked Sascha Rand, an attorney for Abrego Garcia. ... "That's right," Cantu replied.
{snip}
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/ice-official-struggles-answer-questions-abrego-garcias-potential/story?id=127714915
Reposted by Insubordinate Piggy Hat
https://bsky.app/profile/kenwhite.bsky.social
This is legal jargon for "you and your lawyers are full of shit," which is really not something that should happen when the "you" is a federal government agent and the "your lawyers" are the federal government's lawyers.
— Max Kennerly (@maxkennerly.bsky.social) 2025-11-20T22:56:09.244Z
******
Max Kennerly
@maxkennerly.bsky.social
This is legal jargon for "you and your lawyers are full of shit," which is really not something that should happen when the "you" is a federal government agent and the "your lawyers" are the federal government's lawyers.
"Mr. Cantu, when you say Costa Rica is not an option for removal ... where does that come from?" U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis interjected.
"Counsel," Cantu said referring to the State Department attorney.
"The point has been made that this witness knows zero information about the content of the declaration," Xinis said.
ALT
Chris Geidner
@chrisgeidner.bsky.social
· 29m
ABC News: "After not being able to answer several questions from Abrego Garcia's attorneys, [ICE's John] Cantu said he received 'verbiage' for his declaration from a State Department attorney."
ICE official struggles to answer questions about Abrego Garcia's potential deportation
A top ICE official struggled to answer questions about Kilmar Abrego Garcia during an evidentiary hearing about the Salvadoran native's potential deportation.
abcnews.go.com
Nov 20, 2025 at 5:56 PM
******
ABC News: "After not being able to answer several questions from Abrego Garcia's attorneys, [ICE's John] Cantu said he received 'verbiage' for his declaration from a State Department attorney."
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner.bsky.social) 2025-11-20T22:50:18.897Z
******
Chris Geidner
@chrisgeidner.bsky.social
ABC News: "After not being able to answer several questions from Abrego Garcia's attorneys, [ICE's John] Cantu said he received 'verbiage' for his declaration from a State Department attorney."
ICE official struggles to answer questions about Abrego Garcia's potential deportation
A top ICE official struggled to answer questions about Kilmar Abrego Garcia during an evidentiary hearing about the Salvadoran native's potential deportation.
abcnews.go.com
Nov 20, 2025 at 5:50 PM
******
= new reply since forum marked as read
