Federal Judge Holds DHS in Contempt, Orders Return of Wrongfully Deported Salvadoran Asylum Seeker
A federal judge on Friday, Sept. 25, held the Trump administration in contempt for deporting a young Salvadoran asylum seeker and ordered federal officials to return him to the United States.
The ruling, from U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher, found that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) violated three court orders when it removed the 19-year-old from the country.
Court documents obtained by USA TODAY identify the asylum seeker only by the initials E.L.A. He had been protected from deportation under an ongoing class-action settlement for certain asylum seekers who entered the United States as unaccompanied minors.
Gallagher ordered the administration to bring E.L.A. back to the United States, return his property and refrain from removing him again until officials determine his asylum status or the settlement expires.
The Friday contempt ruling is the latest in a string of decisions Gallagher has issued in recent months. She has previously held federal immigration officials in contempt for wrongfully deporting individuals.
In August, Gallagher issued a similar contempt ruling after 50 unaccompanied minors were wrongfully deported, according to the legal news outlet Law360.
In that August order, Gallagher said efforts to bring some of the minors back to the United States were not enough to right the initial wrong. "This court agrees with class counsel that 'a post-violation demonstration of good faith does not undo the violation,'" she said.
The case highlights the continuing friction between federal courts and the Trump administration over immigration enforcement, especially when officials are accused of disregarding orders meant to protect vulnerable migrants. A contempt finding is one of the strongest tools a judge can use to enforce compliance, and it can lead to sanctions or other penalties while the underlying legal fight continues. In this instance, the immediate consequence is a court-ordered reversal of a deportation that the judge had already blocked.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Judge finds DHS in contempt after wrongful deportation