Federal judge orders Trump administration to return a second deported immigrant
A recent legal battle involving the Trump administration and the deportation of a man from the U.S. to El Salvador has caught the attention of federal courts. U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher, a Trump appointee, ruled that the government violated a settlement agreement by deporting a 20-year-old man known as “Cristian” to El Salvador last month.
Cristian was part of a group of migrants who entered the U.S. as unaccompanied children and filed asylum claims to stay in the country. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had agreed in a settlement last year not to deport any individuals in the class until their asylum claims were fully adjudicated by a U.S. court.
Judge Gallagher found that the government breached this agreement by deporting Cristian and ordered that he be returned to the U.S. This case, along with the deportation of Abrego Garcia, an alleged MS-13 member, has sparked a legal battle over the government’s actions under the Alien Enemies Act.
In response to the ruling, the Trump administration claimed that Cristian was eligible for removal under the Alien Enemies Act due to a prior conviction for cocaine possession. They argued that this designation made him no longer a member of the class covered by the settlement.
Despite the government’s arguments, Judge Gallagher ordered that no other members of the class be removed until their asylum claims are properly adjudicated. She also granted a temporary restraining order for another member of the class, an 18-year-old named Javier, who was at risk of deportation.
This ongoing legal battle highlights the complexities of immigration policy and the importance of upholding settlement agreements in court. The case serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by asylum seekers and the need for fair and just treatment under the law.
Breanne Deppisch, a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital, covers the Trump administration and other national news, with a focus on the Justice Department and FBI. Her in-depth reporting sheds light on the legal battles shaping immigration policy in the U.S.
