When it became clear that judges might block President Trump's invocation of a 1798 law to deport Venezuelan migrants, a senior justice department official said the administration should consider telling the courts "f--- you" and "ignore" such rulings, according to a federal whistleblower complaint.
Erez Reuveni, who was fired from the justice department after working there 14 years, stated in the complaint that he challenged the attempts by the administration to "defy" immigration-related court orders and was fired for doing so, CBS News reported.
The Associated Press reported that the dismissal also came after Reuveni said in court that Kilmar Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to Venezuela. The wire service reported that after that hearing, Reuveni refused to go along with an appeal brief in Abrego Garcia's case that included arguments that were "contrary to law, frivolous, and untrue."
After stating for two months that it was unable to correct the deportation error, the Trump administration returned Abrego Garcia to the U.S., ABC News reported. But the Justice Department promptly charged them with human trafficking, and administration officials said that if Abrego Garcia was released while the charges were pending, he'd be immediately held by ICE.
Among Reuveni's claims is that Principal Assistant Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove III said the department should consider telling the courts "f--- you," and "ignore any such order," that might block the deportations, the Associated Press reported.
The revelations regarding Reuveni's complaint come as Bove III, who is nominated for a federal judgeship, is about to appear for a Congressional confirmation hearing.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche dismissed Reuveni's account, saying that it contained "falsehoods purportedly made by a disgruntled former employee." Blanche said that "at no time did anyone suggest a court order should not be followed," CBS News reported.
The complaint was first reported by the New York Times. According to the newspaper, Reuveni asserts that Bove III, said he was willing to ignore court orders to achieve the president's deportation goals. The Times story notes that despite the administration's pushback, there appears to be supporting documentation in the form of emails, texts, and phone records that support Reuveni.
"Discouraging clients from engaging in illegal conduct is an important part of the role of a lawyer," the complaint states, according to the newspaper. "Mr. Reuveni tried to do so and was thwarted, threatened, fired and publicly disparaged for both doing his job and telling the truth to the court."
Also, the AP reported that in April U.S District Judge James E. Boasberg found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt for violating his order not to deport anyone in its custody under the Alien Enemies Act and that any planes that had already departed should be turned around.
The administration has argued that it did not violate any orders, asserting that Boasberg's orders couldn't apply to planes that had left U.S. airspace.
