Trump Has Custody Over Jailed Cecot Migrants, El Salvador Says, Complicating Court Fights

The authorities of El Salvador told nan United Nations that much than 100 Venezuelan migrants deported by nan Trump administration to its maximum-security prison, CECOT, successful March stay nether nan sole custody of nan U.S. authorities — appearing to undercut months of assertions by elder Trump officials, who person many times claimed they person nary powerfulness to compel nan return of these individuals.

The U.N. study was included Monday successful a tribunal filing submitted by lawyers for nan ACLU and different migrant groups representing much than 100 detainees astatine CECOT who are challenging their removal from nan U.S. to nan maximum-security Salvadorian prison.

The filing included a transcript of statements made by nan Salvadorian authorities to a U.N. quality authorities agency successful April, arsenic portion of an investigation brought connected behalf of 4 families.

At nan time, El Salvador officials told nan U.N. that nan "jurisdiction and ineligible responsibility" for detainees sent by nan U.S. to CECOT successful March lies "exclusively" pinch nan U.S., citing a $6 cardinal statement it struck pinch nan U.S. successful March to big astir 300 migrant prisoners.

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS RETURN OF DEPORTED MIGRANT TO US, REJECTING TRUMP REQUEST

Judge James E. Boasberg, main judge of nan Federal District Court successful Washington, D.C., stands for a image astatine E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse successful Washington, D.C., connected Mar. 16, 2023. (Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

That assertion came astir 1 period aft nan Trump management successful March invoked a 1798 wartime migration rule to much quickly deport Venezuelan nationals, including alleged members of nan Tren de Aragua gang. 

Prior to March, nan U.S. invoked nan rule conscionable 3 times, including astir precocious during World War II.

Lawyers representing nan migrants based on Monday that nan connection included successful nan U.N. study should beryllium grounds for plaintiffs to activity further find successful nan case, which had been overseen by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg opening successful March.

WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP'S DEPORTATION EFFORTS?
 

More than 250 suspected pack members, aft arriving successful El Salvador by plane, are seen successful San Salvador, El Salvador, connected March 16, 2025. (El Salvador Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

"Since March, nan Trump-Vance management has sought to run successful nan shadows without nationalist transparency arsenic it removes group from nan state nether mendacious pretenses aliases without immoderate process astatine all," Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, which is representing nan CECOT detainees alongside nan ACLU, said successful a connection this week.

"This is simply a threat to each azygous American, and is simply a threat to our populist arsenic a whole," Perryman added.

It could besides respire caller life into a flurry of stalled migration cases nationwide.

As of this writing, nan revelation has already had a knock-down effect connected astatine slightest 1 lawsuit involving a CECOT migrant ordered backmost to nan U.S. by a national judge.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TELLS FEDERAL JUDGE IT MIGHT INVOKE STATE SECRETS ACT ON HIGH-PROFILE DEPORTATION CASE

Demonstrators stitchery extracurricular nan U.S. District Court successful Greenbelt, Maryland, to protestation nan Trump administration's deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was sent to El Salvador successful March successful what management officials said was an administrative error, connected July 7, 2025. (Breanne Deppisch/Fox News Digital)

U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher, a Trump appointee, ordered nan management connected Wednesday to explicate its position to nan tribunal successful ray of nan caller revelations.

"Defendants person many times skirted this Court's directive to supply accusation regarding nan steps they person taken and will return to facilitate nan return of ['Cristian’] to nan United States," nan judge wrote successful an bid Wednesday evening, referring to a man deported to El Salvador successful March.

She noted that nan defendants "have many times made oblique references to their petition of 'assistance' from nan U.S. Department of State, which has 'entered into negotiations to facilitate Cristian's return' and 'assumed work connected behalf of nan U.S. Government for ... negotiated discussions pinch El Salvador.'"

Gallagher ruled successful April that nan authorities violated a 2024 colony betwixt DHS and a group of young asylum seekers successful deporting him earlier his lawsuit was afloat heard successful court.

As of this writing, however, he has not been returned to nan country. 

SUPREME COURT GRANTS TRUMP REQUEST TO LIFT STAY HALTING VENEZUELAN DEPORTATIONS

U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher, a Trump appointee, ordered nan management connected Wednesday to explicate its position to nan tribunal successful ray of nan caller revelations. (Getty)

The revelation could besides travel to nan fore successful different awesome proceeding this week.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis will perceive from Trump management officials and lawyers for Salvadorian migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia arsenic she weighs a petition from Abrego's attorneys to transportation him backmost to U.S. custody successful Maryland.

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Abrego is presently successful nan custody of U.S. Marshals successful Tennesee but could beryllium released arsenic early arsenic adjacent week. Plaintiffs person cited heavy concerns that nan Trump management would instantly activity to return him into ICE custody upon merchandise and deport him to a 3rd country— a conception nan management did not dispute.

 Xinis, for her part, has taken umbrage pinch nan Trump administration's evasiveness and slow-walking of information, which she likened earlier this week to "trying to nail Jell-O to a wall."