Judge Orders US to Aid Return of Some Deported Migrants
Detained Venezuelans board a flight to Venezuela as part of a detainee exchange agreement between Venezuela and United States on July 18, 2025 in La Paz, El Salvador. The Venezuelans had been sent to El Salvador in March 2025 after US President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, to deport presumed Tren de Aragua gang members without passing under normal immigration processes.
Source: El Salvador Presidency/Getty Images
A federal judge has ordered US officials to “facilitate the return” of at least some Venezuelan migrants deported last year as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
US District Judge James Boasberg on Thursday directed the Trump administration to issue travel documents to individuals who are no longer in Venezuela and want to return to the US to continue challenging their original deportations. The US government also must pay the cost of their commercial flights, he ruled.