U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher held President Donald Trump's administration in contempt of court for deporting a 19-year-old asylum seeker to El Salvador a second time, violating three separate orders she had issued.
The asylum seeker, identified in court records as E.L.A. was first deported in March, then brought back to the United States on Aug. 7. On Sept. 1, officials deported him again while he awaited a psychological evaluation in his asylum case.
Judge Gallagher found the government violated orders she issued in November 2024, April 2025, and July 2026. Justice Department lawyers blamed the repeated removals on communication failures within the administration.
In her order, Judge Gallagher mandated that officials return E.L.A. to the U.S. and barred them from executing any final removal order against him until immigration authorities decide his asylum application or a settlement protecting him expires. She also ordered the government to return his personal belongings seized during removal and required officials to provide at least five business days' notice and legal justification before any future deportation attempt. The parties must report by Oct. 2 on E.L.A.'s decision regarding his return.
This Maryland case involves a class of young asylum seekers who arrived as unaccompanied minors. Judge Gallagher held the administration in contempt once before, in July 2026. Her April 2025 order followed a separate incident in which a Venezuelan class member was sent to El Salvador's CECOT prison.
The contempt ruling reflects a broader pattern of judicial clashes with the administration over immigration enforcement. In June, the full D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to reconsider whether a criminal contempt inquiry into the administration's 2025 deportation flights could proceed. But a divided panel of the same court also ordered U.S. District Judge James Boasberg to end efforts to hold Trump administration officials accountable in another immigration case. Judge Neomi Rao, a Trump appointee, wrote for the majority, which included Trump appointee Justin Walker, in blocking Boasberg's probe.
Judge Provinzino issued a separate civil contempt ruling ordering a $500 daily payment until identity documents were returned. On Feb. 23, 2026, Judge Eric Tostrud, also a Trump appointee, found the administration in contempt for removing a detainee from Minnesota despite a court order.
The rulings underscore deepening tension between the executive and judicial branches over immigration policy and compliance with court directives across multiple federal courts.
