Judge Orders U.S. Aid for Deported Venezuelans' Return

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled on Thursday that the Trump administration must facilitate the return of Venezuelan men deported last year without due process, allowing them to challenge their removals in court. The decision affects 137 individuals sent to El Salvador in March 2025 under the rarely used Alien Enemies Act, which President Donald Trump invoked to expedite the expulsion of suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ordered the government to cover airfare and provide travel documents for those deportees now living outside Venezuela, enabling them to reach U.S. ports of entry or airports. Upon arrival, the men would be taken into immigration custody, where they could contest their designations as gang members and the application of the 1798 wartime law. Boasberg emphasized the need for remedy, stating in his order, "It is up to the Government to remedy the wrong that it perpetrated here and to provide a means for doing so." He added that the situation "would never have arisen had the Government simply afforded Plaintiffs their constitutional rights before initially deporting them."

The deportations occurred amid...