Last week saw the Supreme Court uphold a federal judge's order that the Trump administration work to return a Salvadoran man it had mistakenly deported.

Yet despite having lost its appeal, the administration nevertheless pointed to grounds for celebration. 

DOJ spokesperson praises decision

According to News Nation Now, that claim was put forward on Thursday by a Department of Justice spokesperson, who said, "As the Supreme Court correctly recognized, it is the exclusive prerogative of the President to conduct foreign affairs."

"By directly noting the deference owed to the Executive Branch, this ruling once again illustrates that activist judges do not have the jurisdiction to seize control of the President’s authority to conduct foreign policy," the spokesperson added.

The ruling concerned Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national who was residing in Maryland with his American wife and son.

As the New York Post reported, the White House admitted that Garcia was mistakenly deported last month and is currently being held at El Salvador's Center for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT).

Judge told to show "deference" regarding foreign affairs

Although Garcia had illegally entered the United States in 2011, a federal judge later issued an order blocking him from being removed after he submitted an asylum application.

Maryland District Court Judge Paula Xinis subsequently ordered that the White House "facilitate" Garcia's return, an order which America's highest judicial body upheld.

"The [lower court] order properly requires the Government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador," the Post quoted the unanimous opinion as reading.

"The intended scope of the term ‘effectuate’ in the District Court’s order is, however, unclear, and may exceed the District Court’s authority," it continued.

"The District Court should clarify its directive, with due regard for the deference owed to the Executive Branch in the conduct of foreign affairs," the opinion instructed.

Judges demands more information on Garcia's status

"For its part, the Government should be prepared to share what it can concerning the steps it has taken and the prospect of further steps," the justices went on to add.

Meanwhile, the Post reported on Friday that Judge Xinis later grilled Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign in what it described as a "tense" hearing.

"I'm not asking for state secrets," Xinis at one point stated. "All I know is that he’s not here. The government was prohibited from sending him to El Salvador, and now I’m asking a very simple question: Where is he?"