Trump administration uses rare authority to claw back nearly $1B in spending approved by Congress

A federal judge ruled on Friday that the Trump administration was in contempt for deporting an asylum-seeker to El Salvador despite multiple court orders instructing against it. The man, identified as E.L.A. in court documents, was wrongfully deported twice. After his initial deportation, he sought re-entry to the United States and was detained before being removed again.

The case is rooted in a 2019 federal class-action lawsuit safeguarding the asylum rights of minors who entered the U.S. alone. The lawsuit claims that at least 107 individuals protected by the settlement were removed before their asylum claims were decided upon. Judge Stephanie Gallagher ordered the government to return E.L.A. to the U.S. and to cease any further removal orders against him until his asylum claim is fully processed.

The government was found in civil contempt by the judge for repeatedly deporting young asylum seekers it was legally prohibited from removing. The court requires both parties to provide an update on E.L.A.'s return by October 2.