Judge Orders Return of Venezuelan Migrant Wrongly Deported to El Salvador

A federal judge in Maryland, Stephanie Gallagher, who was appointed by Donald Trump, has ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of a 20-year-old Venezuelan man deported to El Salvador, ruling that his removal violated a court settlement protecting certain young migrants with pending asylum claims. The man, known as 'Christian' in court records, was part of a class action settlement barring the removal of individuals who entered the U.S. as unaccompanied minors and sought asylum, until their claims are fully adjudicated. Despite this, Christian was deported to a Salvadoran prison after the administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act, arguing that his designation excluded him from the settlement's protections. Judge Gallagher, referencing a similar prior case, instructed the government to make a good faith request to El Salvador for Christian's release and barred the removal of other individuals covered by the settlement. The administration has contested the ruling, maintaining their interpretation of the settlement, but the judge emphasized that this case centers on contractual obligations, not national security designations. It remains uncertain whether the Trump administration will comply, especially given ongoing disputes over similar court orders.