Overview

• U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher directed the Trump administration to facilitate the return of Cristian, a 20-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker deported to El Salvador in March under the Alien Enemies Act.
• The court found Cristian's removal violated a 2019 settlement agreement that bars deportation of unaccompanied minors with pending asylum claims until their cases are fully adjudicated.
• The Trump administration argued Cristian's designation as an 'alien enemy' excluded him from the settlement, but the judge rejected this claim, emphasizing the agreement's protections for all class members.
• This is the second recent judicial order requiring the administration to repatriate a deportee, following similar directives in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case, which has faced significant noncompliance issues.
• The ruling highlights growing constitutional tensions, as the administration resists court mandates and shifts blame to the Defense Department for executing contested deportation flights.