Judge Orders DHS to Return Deported Asylum Seeker
Federal judge holds DHS in contempt for deporting asylum seeker, orders Trump admin to bring him back.
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A federal judge has ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to bring back a 19-year-old asylum seeker who was deported to El Salvador, citing contempt for violating court orders. US District Judge Stephanie Gallagher, a Trump appointee, ruled that the Trump administration had twice deported the individual, identified as E.L.A., in violation of three different court orders.
Asylum Case Violates Court Settlement
The case stems from a 2019 federal class-action lawsuit that challenged Trump’s policy for minors seeking asylum. As part of the settlement, unaccompanied minors could not be deported before their asylum claims were evaluated. According to court documents, E.L.A. was wrongfully deported twice, with the second deportation occurring after he voluntarily returned to the U.S. and was detained for weeks.
After his first deportation, E.L.A. boarded a plane on August 7 to return to the U.S., “submitted himself” to immigration custody, and endured weeks of detention only to be wrongfully removed a second time to his country of feared persecution. The court found that the Trump administration had violated the terms of the 2019 settlement, which protects the asylum rights of unaccompanied minors.
Over 100 Protected Individuals Deported
Court records show that at least 107 people protected by the settlement — 54 confirmed class members and 53 more the government flagged as potentially protected — were removed under final deportation orders before their asylum claims were decided. Judge Gallagher ordered the government to return E.L.A. to the U.S. and to “refrain” from executing any removal orders against him until his asylum case is fully processed.
This ruling highlights ongoing legal battles over immigration policies and the rights of asylum seekers, particularly those who arrived in the U.S. as unaccompanied minors. The case underscores the tension between enforcement actions and legal protections established through court settlements and judicial oversight.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
