Whistleblower Alleges Trump DOJ Told Lawyers to Defy Court Orders in Multiple Deportation Cases

Emil Bove, nominated by President Trump to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, faces allegations from former DOJ lawyer Erez Reuveni that he led a scheme within the Justice Department to defy court orders blocking the deportation of undocumented immigrants to El Salvador's CECOT prison. During a March meeting, Bove reportedly stated that the DOJ might have to tell courts 'fuck you' and ignore orders that interfered with the administration's immigration policies. Reuveni, who was fired after admitting in court that the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man protected by a court order, was illegal, claims he was pressured to lie and ultimately dismissed for refusing to do so. The deportations involved sending detainees to a prison known for human rights abuses under El Salvador's authoritarian President Nayib Bukele, an ally of Trump. DOJ leadership allegedly planned to resist judicial orders through disinformation and deliberate delays, with Reuveni accusing them of lying to the court and stonewalling judicial oversight. The Justice Department has denied these allegations, calling them falsehoods from a disgruntled former employee.