Trump-appointed judge again holds admin in contempt over deportation

A federal judge appointed by President Trump issued a contempt order against the administration on Friday for deporting an asylum seeker to El Salvador in defiance of three prior court rulings. Judge Stephanie Gallagher found that the government violated orders dating back to November 2024, April 2025, and July 2026. The ruling involves a 19-year-old man, identified as E.L.A., who was already deported once before despite multiple court orders.

In a brief order, Judge Gallagher instructed the administration to return E.L.A. to the United States, restore his property and documents, and halt any further final removal orders until the appropriate asylum determination is made or the current settlement expires. The man had been removed twice, according to court documents.

The government responded in a September 2 filing, stating that officials had learned via an email from class counsel about E.L.A.'s removal to El Salvador. They expressed their intention to consider steps to address the communication errors leading to the man's erroneous removal.

The White House has not yet commented on the matter. This latest development adds to the ongoing legal battle between the Trump administration and federal courts over deportations that occur despite judicial protections. The case stems from a class-action lawsuit filed in 2019 during the previous Trump administration, where young asylum seekers challenged a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy limiting their ability to pursue asylum while in removal proceedings.