Federal judge orders return of Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador under Alien Enemies Act

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return to the U.S. of a group of Venezuelan migrants who were sent to a maximum security prison in El Salvador last year under the Alien Enemies Act and accused of being members of the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua.

The 137 Venezuelans the ruling applies to were deported to the notorious Center for Terrorism Confinement, or CECOT, in the Central American country, under the rarely-used Alien Enemies Act, despite an emergency ruling ordering the flight to be returned to the U.S.

The men were later sent to their home countries as part of a prisoner exchange. U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg ruled the government must pay to fly back or accept at a US port of entry any of the men who are now in countries other than Venezuela. They're likely to be detained upon arrival as they fight accusations they are members of Tren de Aragua. Those still in Venezuela, can challenge their deportation from that country, and will not be allowed for now to come to the U.S.