'Jaw dropping' order by judge is 'not good news for DOJ's Todd Blanche: legal expert

A ruling issued Tuesday by Federal District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr. threatens to undermine the government's case against immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia and potentially damage Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's reputation.

According to former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance, the Tennessee court ruling compels the Department of Justice to release key materials demonstrating that DOJ leadership directed the prosecution of Abrego Garcia despite protestations to the contrary.

The government has maintained that then-Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Rob McGuire pursued Abrego Garcia independently, without direction from Washington leadership.

On her Substack platform, Vance characterized the unsealed ruling as "not good news for the government." She cited an April 27 email from Blanche's subordinate Aakash Singh to McGuire that explicitly identified Abrego Garcia's prosecution as a "top priority" for the Deputy Attorney General's office— among the sensitive materials now subject to disclosure to Abrego Garcia's legal team.

Vance emphasized the significance of these developments: "These developments are all phrased in the polite language used in courts by judges and lawyers, but they are jaw-dropping."

She explained the contradiction at the case's center: "The government represented to the court that the decision to prosecute Abrego Garcia was made locally, disconnected from his effort to enforce his constitutional rights and challenge his deportation. Their own emails appear to contradict that assertion."

Vance drew on her 25 years of DOJ experience, noting, "I've seen a number of cases during my tenure where a defendant argued vindictiveness. In every case, the government explained why the prosecution was legitimate, and in every case, it prevailed. I've never seen a case where the government made representations to a judge that were refuted by its own internal communications."

Vance noted that prosecutors may be required to testify under oath to defend their actions if the case proceeds. "Abrego Garcia's case, which has been highly irregular from the start, may well be the one where that happens."

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