Justice Department Confirms Noem Defied Judge's Deportation Order
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem authorized the deportation of 100 Venezuelan men to El Salvador despite a federal judge's order to maintain their U.S. custody.
The United States Department of Justice confirmed in a court filing that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem authorized the deportation of 100 Venezuelan men to a high-security prison in El Salvador in March. The action defied an explicit order from U.S. District Judge James Boasberg to keep the men in U.S. custody.
The operation followed a decision by President Donald Trump to invoke war powers, classifying the men as members of a transnational gang. Noem acted based on legal guidance from senior Justice Department officials, including then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and then-Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. These officials claimed the judge's orders were legally insufficient or reached the department after the flights had already departed.
Although the Supreme Court later ruled that Boasberg lacked jurisdiction in the original suit, the judge intends to pursue contempt proceedings to establish the facts of the operation. The 100 men were eventually returned to Venezuela via a prisoner exchange after several months of confinement in El Salvador.
