Judge Holds Trump Administration in Contempt Over Illegal Deportation

U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher held the Trump administration in contempt on September 25, 2026, after the government deported a 19-year-old asylum seeker, identified as E.L.A., to El Salvador. The removal violated three separate court orders issued between November 2024 and July 2026.

E.L.A., who arrived in the United States as an unaccompanied minor, was first deported in March 2026. He returned on August 7 but was flown out again on September 1 while awaiting a psychological evaluation. Lawyers from the United States Department of Justice attributed the second removal to communication errors.

Judge Gallagher ordered the government to return E.L.A. to the United States, return his seized belongings, and cease further removal actions until a final decision is reached on his asylum application or the protecting settlement expires. The case stems from a 2019 class-action lawsuit protecting unaccompanied minors. Court documents reveal that at least 107 protected individuals were removed before their asylum claims were decided. The parties are required to report by October 2 on whether E.L.A. wishes to return.