Alien Enemies Act Deportations

Federal Judge James Boasberg ruled that the Trump administration violated due process by deporting a class of Venezuelan men (reported as between 137 and 252) to El Salvador’s CECOT prison under the Alien Enemies Act, finding they remained in constructive U.S. custody and ordering the government by Jan. 5 to either bring them back to the United States or provide constitutionally adequate hearings (in person or remotely). The men — flown to El Salvador in March and returned to Venezuela in a U.S.‑brokered swap in July after months in CECOT where human‑rights groups and detainees reported abuse — and Venezuelan officials say they will pursue legal action, while the U.S. government is expected to appeal.