Overview
- Chief Judge James E. Boasberg directed the government to help bring back class members now in third countries, excluding for now those still in Venezuela because of foreign-affairs constraints.
- Officials must issue boarding letters and, in some cases, pay commercial airfare for plaintiffs who choose to return to pursue their challenges in U.S. court.
- Any returnees will be taken into U.S. custody on arrival while their cases proceed and could be removed again if they lose.
- The ruling allows deportees to file habeas and related claims from abroad, contesting both the Alien Enemies Act removals and alleged Tren de Aragua designations.
- Boasberg criticized the administration’s noncooperation, set near-term reporting deadlines for implementation, and DHS defended the deportations as lawful as the administration prepares an appeal.