By SCM REPORTER
A TOP US judge has ordered the Trump administration to fly a group of deported Venezuelans back to America at the government’s expense.
Chief US District Judge James Boasberg issued the explosive ruling on Thursday, demanding the White House provide “boarding letters” and airfare for migrants who were booted out of the country and dumped in a notorious El Salvadoran mega-prison last year.
The 137 men were rounded up and deported under the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act—a wartime law the President invoked by branding the migrants members of the brutal Tren de Aragua street gang.
In a blistering written opinion, Judge Boasberg accused the Trump administration of “flagrant” violations of the law, stating the deportees were denied their basic right to due process.
The judge didn’t hold back, claiming that when he asked the government for a plan to fix the legal mess, their response was essentially to tell the court to “pound sand.”
”Our starting point is the Court’s prior finding that the deportees were denied due process,” Boasberg wrote. “The Court refuses to let them languish in the solution-less mire.”
The migrants were originally flown to El Salvador’s CECOT (Terrorism Confinement Centre), a facility famous for its “iron-fist” conditions.
They were later moved to Venezuela as part of a prisoner swap, but many have since fled to third countries.
Lawyers for the men argue they were never given a chance to prove they weren’t gangsters. One deportee, a former professional footballer, was allegedly flagged as a “terrorist” simply for having a Real Madrid tattoo.
The ruling has sparked a fresh war of words between the bench and the Beltway.
A White House spokesperson blasted the decision as “absurd” and “unlawful,” calling Boasberg a “judicial activist” trying to block the will of the American people.
While the judge has ordered their return, he warned the migrants they shouldn’t expect a red carpet—anyone flying back will likely be detained by immigration officials the moment they touch down on US soil.
The Law: President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, arguing that the Tren de Aragua gang represents an “invasion” of the US.
The administration claims the group consists of “hardcore criminals,” though human rights groups insist many have no criminal records.
In March 2025, Boasberg actually ordered deportation planes to turn around mid-flight, but the administration ignored him and landed the flights in El Salvador anyway.
The Next Step: The US government has until March 13 to explain exactly how it will transport these men back to the States.
