The Whistleblower Summit and Film Festival on Tuesday awarded a Pillar Award to the attorney, Erez Reuveni, who was fired from his position as a civil litigator for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) after he told a federal court judge that Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported in error.
After being fired, Reuveni filed a whistleblower complaint, claiming he witnessed U.S. Appellate Court Judge Emil Bove discuss plans to disobey multiple court orders. Though the complaint did not stop Bove from being confirmed by the U.S. Senate earlier this week, his attorneys shared that the effort on Tuesday resulted in a Pillar Award.
A press release explains Reuveni was represented in his whistleblower complaint by the Government Accountability Project (GAP), which was formed in 1977 after the Nixon administration punished a government leaker during the Pentagon Papers controversy, and announced their client’s receipt of the award on Tuesday.
The press release did not note that GAP has a longstanding relationship with the Whistleblower Summit and Film Festival, having declared itself “proud to provide this year’s awards,” ahead of the ceremony held in July 2021.
Noting that Reuveni won a Pillar Award alongside Dr. Robert Kroutil, a whistleblower who alleged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) failed to act swiftly following the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the nonprofit published on Tuesday that the awards are given to those the festival considers to be “notable civil and human rights champions.”
The press release acknowledged Reuveni was fired, “after he acknowledged in federal court that the government had mistakenly deported Mr. Kilmar Abrego Garcia.” It claimed he additionally refused to “sign a brief misrepresenting facts” about the case during an appeal.
“Following his termination, on June 24, 2025, Reuveni filed a whistleblower complaint alleging retaliation for his internal whistleblowing and a pattern of internal DOJ misconduct, including evading court orders, systematically prioritizing immigration enforcement outcomes, and pressuring attorneys to make misrepresentations to courts.” The GAP statement claimed, “Reuveni’s case is now widely viewed as a test of the rule of law, separation of powers, and the ethical obligations of public servants.“
GAP President and CEO Louis Clark called it “an honor to be associated” with Reuveni, who he described as a “truth-teller” with the “courage and determination” necessary to “resist the powerful pressures to participate in public deception” as part of the federal government.
Despite his claims, a review of the cases where Reuveni said Bove plotted to defy court orders seems to reveal that the government followed the rulings made by various judges.
Reuveni alleged in the case of Abrego Garcia that Bove planned to defy court orders demanding the Trump administration facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return, though the citizen of El Salvador was returned to the United States in June, when U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi unsealed the indictment charging him with human smuggling.
Similarly, Reuveni claimed Bove and the Trump administration planned to defy court orders that forbade its use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport illegal immigrants it considered members of terrorist gangs, but the Trump administration ceased using the law following an order by the U.S. Supreme Court.
While Reuveni alleged the Trump administration similarly planned to defy court orders blocking deportations of illegal immigrants to third-party nations willing to receive them, the high court confirmed the White House was acting appropriately.
Though his whistleblower complaint was unsuccessful at blocking Bove’s confirmation, it did land him an appearance on a New York Times podcast, where Reuveni seemed to reveal that he considered it the mission of a government attorney to “achieve justice,” even if that meant losing a case.
The Tennessee Star was the first news outlet to report that Abrego Garcia was stopped by the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) in November 2022, and a THP spokesman later told The Star the department released the citizen of El Salvador at the request of the “Biden-era FBI.” A document later confirmed THP suspected the El Salvadoran of human smuggling during the stop.
Abrego Garcia pleaded not guilty after he was returned to Tennessee. He is currently scheduled to face trial in January 2026, but three recent judicial rulings may make it possible for the Trump administration to deport him before trial.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Department of Justice Logo” by Department of Justice.
