A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration must give over 100 already-deported Venezuelan nationals—now held in a high-security prison in El Salvador—a chance to challenge their removal. The ruling targets Trump’s use of wartime powers to expel alleged gang members without prior notice.
Key Facts:
- U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled that the Trump administration violated due process by not giving notice to over 100 Venezuelans before deporting them.
- The Venezuelans were sent in mid-March to CECOT, a prison in El Salvador known for housing gang members.
- Boasberg approved a class action lawsuit representing all affected individuals.
- He cited concerns that the U.S. could otherwise “snatch anyone off the street” and deny legal recourse.
- The Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act to authorize these deportations.
The Rest of The Story:
In a decision issued Wednesday, Judge James Boasberg ruled against the Trump administration’s use of wartime powers to deport Venezuelan nationals without due process.
These individuals, labeled as gang members, were transported to El Salvador’s Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), a prison known for its harsh conditions and use in cracking down on violent crime.
Judge Boasberg found the government’s actions likely violated the Venezuelans’ constitutional rights.
“Absent this relief, the government could snatch anyone off the street, turn him over to a foreign country, and then effectively foreclose any corrective course of action,” he wrote.
The ruling temporarily blocks further deportations under the order and gives the administration one week to propose how it plans to offer these migrants a chance to object.
BREAKING: Federal Judge James Boasberg finds the Trump administration "plainly deprived" the Venezuelans it sent to a prison in El Salvador of their due process rights, giving officials one week to say how they plan to offer these men a chance to contest their deportation. pic.twitter.com/mfwNrpHFNN
— Camilo Montoya-Galvez (@camiloreports) June 4, 2025
Commentary:
This ruling is an alarming example of a judge stepping far beyond his lane.
The Trump administration used a long-standing legal tool—the Alien Enemies Act—to target individuals tied to foreign gangs.
These are not innocent tourists.
They are alleged criminals, some linked to transnational crime and violence.
The idea that they should receive court hearings before being removed to a country ready and willing to imprison them shows a disconnect from reality.
Judge Boasberg’s claim that the U.S. could “snatch anyone off the street” is misleading.
These were not random civilians.
These individuals were flagged for national security reasons.
Sending them to a secure facility outside the U.S. is not only lawful under the Alien Enemies Act but wise.
We are talking about dangerous actors from failed states, not peaceful immigrants.
If Judge Boasberg thinks these gang members deserve better treatment, perhaps the administration should return all 100-plus of them and house them in his Washington neighborhood.
Let him and his peers witness the “corrective course of action” firsthand.
It’s outrageous that in the middle of a border and crime crisis, unelected judges are tying the hands of the one leader taking bold steps to protect the public.
The president is tasked with defending this country.
Yet his authority is constantly chipped away by courts that prioritize procedural hypotheticals over public safety.
Deportation delays and judicial activism are helping no one—except the gangs.
This sends a message to criminals abroad that America will hesitate, hesitate, and hesitate again—until it’s too late.
The Bottom Line:
A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration must give over 100 Venezuelans—already deported and currently held in a high-security prison in El Salvador—a chance to challenge their removal.
These individuals were labeled as gang members and deported under the Alien Enemies Act without prior notice or the opportunity to object.
The court’s decision disrupts the administration’s use of wartime powers to protect national security.
It also opens the door for dangerous foreign nationals to demand legal proceedings long after removal.
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