Judge Orders U.S. to Return Wrongfully Deported Venezuelan Asylum Seeker

A federal judge in Maryland, Stephanie Gallagher, has ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of a 20-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker, known as Cristian, who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador despite being protected by a court settlement for unaccompanied minors with pending asylum claims. This is the second incident of its kind, following the earlier case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The judge found that Cristian’s removal violated the terms of a 2024 settlement agreement, which prohibited deportation of such individuals while their asylum applications were being processed. Cristian, along with others, was sent to El Salvador after being grouped with alleged gang members and imprisoned in a controversial mega-prison criticized for human rights abuses. Judge Gallagher's order not only mandates Cristian’s return but also instructs the administration to halt further removals of those protected under the settlement, highlighting ongoing judicial concerns over the handling of asylum cases for vulnerable minors. The ruling underscores tensions between the judiciary and the administration regarding adherence to court orders on immigration enforcement.