Trump administration must facilitate return of men sent to El Salvador's CECOT back to the U.S., judge rules

"A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return to the United States of people it deported to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, ruling that the government violated their due process rights and must now begin to remedy the consequences of those removals. The order, issued by D.C. U.S. District Chief Judge James E. Boasberg, arises from a class action brought by Venezuelan migrants who were deported in March 2025 under a presidential proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act."

"In his latest opinion, the judge addressed what the government must do to remedy that violation. Citing recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent, he wrote that when people are unlawfully removed, the government must "ensure that [their] case is handled as it would have been had [they] not been improperly sent to El Salvador." He rejected the administration's argument that there was no feasible way to allow the plaintiffs to proceed, warning that otherwise the government could remove people without due process and then deny them any meaningful chance to be heard simply because they are no longer in the United States."

"Under the order, the government must offer "boarding letters" to plaintiffs in third countries who seek commercial air travel back to the U.S. and, in some cases, cover the cost of that travel."

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of people deported to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), finding that those removals violated due process rights. The order arises from a class action by Venezuelan migrants removed in March 2025 under a presidential proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act. The judge cited U.S. Supreme Court precedent requiring that unlawfully removed individuals have their cases handled as if they had not been removed. The judge rejected the government's argument that remediation was infeasible and required offering boarding letters and, in some cases, covering commercial travel costs to return plaintiffs to the United States.

Read at Advocate.com