Trump admin ordered by court to return another wrongly deported man
The Trump administration was ordered to facilitate the return of another wrongly deported man, who was sent to El Salvador despite a stay of removal.
The Trump administration was ordered by a federal appeals court to "facilitate" the return of a Salvadoran man who was deported last month to his native country mere minutes after the same court ruled he shouldn't be removed from the U.S.
The order issued by judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York said the government must facilitate the return of Jordin Melgar-Salmeron, 31, "as soon as possible," CNN reported.
Melgar-Salmeron was deported in May, becoming at least the fourth individual to have been wrongly removed from the U.S. despite court rulings or protected status.
- Declassified map shows US cities that would be first hit by nuclear bomb
- Donald Trump dementia fears as strange bulge spotted in his pants
The Trump administration has cracked down on immigration in its first few months, sponsoring a mass deportation effort that has seen thousands removed from the country on flights to El Salvador.
Many were imprisoned in the country's notorious penitentiary, CECOT, which is known for human rights abuses. The U.S. government struck a deal with El Salvador to secure space in the prison for deported migrants.
A stay of removal for Melgar-Salmeron was issued on May 7 at 9:52 a.m., CNN reported — but a flight carrying him to El Salvador departed approximately 30 minutes later.
"The Government represents that Petitioner was removed that day due to 'a confluence of administrative errors,'" the order said. It noted that the government acknowledged earlier in court documents that a "perfect storm of errors occurred to allow for Petitioner's untimely, and inadvertent, removal, despite the Government's assurance and the eventual stay order."
The government must now file a supplemental declaration addressing Melgar-Salmeron's current physical location and custodial status and include steps the government will take — including "when to facilitate his return to the United States."
Tuesday's order included a denial from the court of a request by Melgar-Salmeron's lawyers to appoint a special master to investigate authorities and officials involved in the wrongful deportation.
Melgar-Salmeron's case came right on the heels of that of wrongly deported man Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was returned to the U.S. after being removed to El Salvador in spite of a 2019 court order barring his removal.
Abrego Garcia faces a federal indictment for smuggling undocumented migrants across state lines in 2022 and has been described as a vessel for the Justice Department's hardball approach to immigration enforcement.
He pleaded not guilty to the smuggling conspiracy charges.
