A federal judge ruled Thursday that President Donald Trump must return more than 100 Venezuelans deported to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act last spring.
“The Court will now order the Government to facilitate the return from third countries of those Plaintiffs who so desire,” Chief Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia wrote in court filings. “It will also permit other Plaintiffs to file their habeas supplements from
abroad.”
If the men deported do not want to return to the United States, they can file petitions to conduct the proceedings remotely.
The development marks a critical blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to deport 137 Venezuelan men who were flown last year to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center without advance notice or court hearings.
The Trump administration is expected to appeal.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.