Judge scolds Trump officials over deportation error: ‘Blatant lawlessness’

A federal judge has launched a scathing attack on the Trump administration for deporting a Guatemalan man in violation of a prior immigration court ruling, calling the removal “blatant lawlessness.”

David C. Guaderrama, a U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Texas, ordered the government on December 5 to return Faustino Pablo Pablo to the United States by December 12. The judge also demanded daily updates on efforts to bring him back.

Newsweek has contacted the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

Why It Matters

The ruling highlights a recurring pattern in which the Trump administration has deported individuals despite existing legal protections, sometimes putting them at risk of persecution or torture.

Courts have repeatedly flagged cases where due process and statutory safeguards were ignored, raising concerns about flaws in the administration’s enforcement practices as it pushes forward with an aggressive mass deportation policy.

What To Know

Pablo entered the United States illegally in 2012. An immigration judge ordered his removal but found he would likely face torture in Guatemala. After living in California and reporting to immigration officials, he was detained by immigration agents on November 5, 2025, despite his protections.

“Pablo Pablo has already shown in immigration court that ‘it is more likely than not that he will be tortured by, or with the consent or acquiescence of, the Guatemalan government,'” the judge wrote in court documents.

Days later, on November 20, he was flown to Guatemala before the court could intervene, according to court documents.

“By the time the Court ordered Respondents not to remove Pablo Pablo, he had arrived in Guatemala City,” the judge wrote.

In his order, Judge Guaderrama noted that government lawyers conceded the removal was “unlawful.” He granted a preliminary injunction, concluding that the deportation violated applicable federal law, in particular the statute barring the removal of individuals granted withholding of removal.

The judge also emphasized the grave risks Pablo Pablo faces if not returned, including the possibility of torture, and said the court must act to uphold due process and statutory protections.

The judge also addressed the government’s prior argument that the court lacked jurisdiction to order Pablo Pablo’s return because it no longer had “actual custody or control” over him. The court noted that, despite this claim, the government had committed to facilitating his return to the United States, allowing the court to exercise authority in the case.

This decision is part of a pattern of cases in which courts have challenged the Trump administration for deporting individuals despite legal protections. One notable example is Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was abruptly deported to El Salvador in March, even though a 2019 immigration judge’s ruling had found he was likely to face persecution by a local gang.

His case attracted national attention after a judge ordered his swift return, sparking strong pushback from the White House and senior Homeland Security officials, who criticized both Abrego and the judges involved.

The administration has admitted to other improper deportations, including individuals sent to El Salvador or Mexico despite court orders, pending asylum claims, missing “credible fear” interviews, or findings that they faced a high risk of torture.

What People Are Saying

Journalist David Toro Escobar wrote in a post on X: “The US government admitted to having illegally deported Guatemalan Faustino Pablo Pablo, who was protected by a court order. A federal court ordered his immediate return to the country.”

Judge Guaderrama wrote in court documents: “In Pablo Pablo’s case, the potential risk to his bodily safety, coupled with the losses he has already experienced from his deprivation of liberty, steeply outweigh the costs to the Government in facilitating his flight home.”

What Happens Next

The administration has been ordered by a federal judge to return Pablo Pablo later this month.