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A federal judge has ordered that roughly 137 Venezuelan men who were deported to El Salvador this spring be returned to the United States so they can challenge their removals in court — a stunning rebuke to the administration’s tough-but-necessary enforcement actions. The decision, handed down by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, comes after the Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act to remove individuals it accused of being part of the Tren de Aragua gang.
Those removals took place in March and were framed by the White House as a national-security step to get violent transnational criminals off our streets and out of our custody quickly. Conservatives supported firm action against criminal gangs hiding behind asylum claims, and yet the courts suddenly insist on re-litigating those enforcement decisions after the fact.
This isn’t mere legal technicality — it’s judicial activism that weakens America’s ability to enforce its borders and protect communities. When judges substitute their policy preferences for the executive branch’s duty to defend the homeland, hardworking Americans pay the price in safety, resources, and lost deterrence.
The chaotic aftermath has only made matters worse: some of the deported men were later moved in a puzzling prisoner exchange and returned to Venezuela, leaving courts and lawyers scrambling to even locate individuals they insist must be brought back. The government has been ordered to submit a plan for returns, a logistical nightmare that rewards disorder rather than deterrence.
Make no mistake — the administration acted on intelligence and a centuries-old statute to confront a violent criminal network that exploits our asylum system, while judges now demand rehearings that risk undoing months of enforcement. This is a dangerous precedent that will only encourage smugglers and gang recruiters if left unchecked, signaling that the U.S. will not see deportation through to completion.
Patriots and policy-makers must respond: Congress should clarify and strengthen the laws so national-security deportations can be carried out without being derailed by activist judges, and the executive must insist on firm, transparent enforcement that protects Americans first. Our border and our communities deserve leaders who act decisively, not court-ordered second-guessing that prioritizes procedural posturing over public safety.
