A Trump-appointed federal judge in Maryland found the Trump administration in contempt on Friday over the removal of a young asylum seeker, identified as ELA, to El Salvador despite court orders protecting him from deportation. In the case involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ELA's lawyers say the government sent him there twice in six months.
The news came after a November 2024 agreement protecting a class of immigrants from removal while US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) dealt with their pending asylum claims. The US District Court for the District of Maryland recorded that agreement in an order. ELA's initials are used to protect his identity and sensitive personal information while he seeks asylum from El Salvador.
