President Donald Trump’s administration has invoked the state secrets privilege as a federal court probes for information surrounding Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s deportation to El Salvador.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis revealed the invocation on May 7 in an order requesting briefing from the administration. “The Court requires formal briefing of the Defendants’ invocations of privilege, principally the state secrets and deliberative process privileges,” she said in an order. Her order referenced a court document not publicly available.
The state secrets privilege generally allows the executive branch to protect sensitive national security information from being disclosed in civil suits. The Justice Department invoked it in March in a similar case that more broadly challenged the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport individuals to El Salvador….