A last-minute intervention from Chief Justice John Roberts has paused the midnight deadline that could determine the life or death of Kilmar Garcia – a Maryland man mistakenly deported to one of El Salvador's deadliest prisons.

Garcia, 29, was ripped from his home despite a 2019 court order that barred his removal due to likely persecution. He had no criminal record, was legally working as a sheet metal apprentice, and was married to a U.S. citizen. Still, the Trump administration deported him, labeling it an administrative error, but also accusing him without evidence of being tied to MS-13.

Even the federal appeals court wasn't buying it, calling the government's actions "lawless" and admitting bluntly that the government screwed up. Now, the Trump Justice Department is asking the Supreme Court to let it continue deporting others under an obscure wartime law from the 1700s.

Roberts’ pause gives the high court time to consider whether the lower court went too far in demanding the U.S. get Garcia back. But here's the kicker: the administration claims they can't bring him home because he's no longer in U.S. custody.

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