Federal judge threatens Bondi, Noem with sanctions over Abrego Garcia comments
In a significant development in the case against Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a federal judge in Tennessee has issued a stern warning to high-ranking government officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw cautioned that any prejudicial remarks made by these officials regarding Abrego Garcia’s ongoing criminal proceedings may result in sanctions. This warning comes on the heels of a series of inflammatory statements made by government representatives, which the judge believes could compromise Abrego Garcia’s constitutional right to an impartial jury.
Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who was deported earlier this year only to be returned to the U.S., faces serious federal charges, including human smuggling and conspiracy. The case has garnered significant media attention, particularly due to the nature of the allegations against him. Judge Crenshaw noted that the public discourse surrounding Abrego Garcia has been rife with exaggerations and inaccuracies, particularly in statements made by Bondi and Noem, who have characterized him as a serial smuggler and a member of the notorious MS-13 gang. Such comments, the judge argues, not only violate local court rules that limit public remarks on active cases but also threaten the integrity of the legal process.
The judge’s memorandum highlights the potential for government officials’ statements to skew public perception and prejudice the jury pool. For instance, Bondi’s assertion that Abrego Garcia made over 100 trips transporting vulnerable individuals and Noem’s labeling of him as a “child predator” exemplify the kind of statements that could lead to public bias against the defendant. While Judge Crenshaw has refrained from issuing a formal gag order, his warning serves as a clear reminder of the delicate balance between public discourse and judicial fairness. As the case unfolds, the implications of these remarks and the judge’s response will be closely watched, both for their impact on Abrego Garcia’s trial and the broader conversations surrounding immigration and criminal justice in the United States.
Related articles:
– Link 1
– Link 2
A federal judge in Tennessee is threatening Attorney General
Pam Bondi
, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and other Department of Justice and DHS employees with sanctions if they make any prejudicial statements about Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia’s criminal case.
U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw, who is overseeing the case, wrote in a filing Monday that, “DOJ and DHS employees who fail to comply with the requirement to refrain from making any statement that ‘will have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing’ this criminal prosecution may be subject to sanctions.”
Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national
deported earlier this year
before being returned to the U.S., is facing federal charges of human smuggling and conspiracy. Bondi has described him as a full-time smuggler who made more than 100 trips transporting women, children and MS-13 gang-affiliated persons throughout the U.S.
“The high-profile nature of his immigration case resulted in government officials and those supportive of Abrego regularly commenting to the media. Now that he has been indicted in this District, Abrego asks the Court to freeze extra-judicial comments to ensure his Constitutional right to an impartial jury,” Crenshaw wrote in a memorandum opinion.
TOP TRUMP OFFICIALS SUBPOENAED IN ABREGO GARCIA HEARING FOR ‘VINDICTIVE’ PROSECUTION
In that filing, the judge wrote, “Media attention about Abrego started in March 2025 when the United States sent him to El Salvador, months before his indictment in the Middle District of Tennessee.”
“Government employees have made extrajudicial statements that are troubling, especially where many of them are exaggerated if not simply inaccurate. These statements made allegations regarding Abrego’s ‘character or reputation’ and expressed government officials’ views on Abrego’s ‘guilt or innocence,’” the judge said.
DOJ SIGNALS IT WOULD RATHER DEPORT ABREGO GARCIA THAN PROSECUTE HIM
The judge continued, “For example, the
DHS Secretary
stated that Abrego is a ‘MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator’… Similarly, on June 6, 2025, the Attorney General stated that Abrego played ‘a significant role in an alien smuggling ring … [that] this was his full-time job, not a contractor … [that] [h]e was a smuggler of humans and children and women … [and that] [h]e made over 100 trips.’”
Crenshaw also declared the Trump Cabinet members were in violation of a local court rule limiting remarks from government officials relating to an active criminal case, although he stopped short of issuing a gag order, according to
Politico.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Justice Department and Homeland Security for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
