Paula Xinis

Paula Xinis is a U.S. District Judge who has recently presided over the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who was wrongfully deported and subsequently re-detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Judge Xinis has repeatedly ruled against the Trump administration's efforts to re-detain and deport Abrego Garcia. Her rulings have ordered Abrego Garcia's release from ICE custody, citing a lack of lawful authority for his re-detention after his wrongful deportation. The Department of Homeland Security has criticized these rulings as 'naked judicial activism' and pledged to appeal. The case has become a focal point in the broader debate over President Trump's immigration policies and mass deportation agenda, with Abrego Garcia's situation serving as a rallying point against these policies. Judge Xinis's decisions highlight the legal challenges to the administration's immigration enforcement efforts.