Trump-appointed judge again holds admin in contempt over deportation
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A Trump-appointed federal judge held the administration in contempt Friday for deporting a young asylum seeker to El Salvador in violation of three court orders — and ordered the government to bring him back to the U.S.
Why it matters: It's the latest clash between the Trump administration and federal courts over deportations carried out despite judicial protections, with the judge finding the government violated orders dating from November 2024, April 2025 and July 2026.
Driving the news: U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher has now found the administration in contempt twice in the same class-action litigation, with Friday's ruling involving a man deported to El Salvador despite three separate court orders.
- In a brief order Friday, Gallagher instructed the administration to return the man, identified as 19-year-old E.L.A., to the U.S., return his property and documents and refrain from executing any final removal order against him until officials make the specified final asylum determination or the settlement expires.
- It was the second time he's been removed, according to court documents.
- In a Sept. 2 filing, the government said officials had learned via an email from class counsel that E.L.A. had been removed to El Salvador, and in correspondence the following day, said they are "considering appropriate steps to rectify the communication errors that led to ELA's erroneous removal."
- The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Context: The class-action lawsuit dates to 2019, during Trump's first administration, when young asylum seekers challenged a USCIS policy restricting their ability to pursue asylum applications with the agency while in removal proceedings.
What's next: Gallagher ordered the parties to update the court by Oct. 2 on whether E.L.A. wants to return to the U.S. and, if so, plans for his return.
Go deeper: Trump administration to revoke up to 200,000 visas of asylum seekers
Editor's note: Rebecca Falconer contributed reporting.
