Government lawyers say they have no control over Kilmar Abrego Garcia and no authority to arrange for his return.

Even Department of Homeland Security officials admitted in an earlier court filing that Abrego Garcia was sent to El Salvador last month because of an “administrative error.” Despite that, the Justice Department has argued that it cannot bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States.

A U.S. judge ruled on Friday that the Trump administration must return a Maryland man who was wrongly deported to El Salvador to the United States within three days, the latest legal setback for the administration's hardline deportation policies.