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Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Trump officials will not face contempt over Venezuela deportations, appeals court rules
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Venezuelan migrants arrive after being deported from U.S., at Simon Bolivar International Airport, in Maiquetia, Venezuela June 17, 2025. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo WASHINGTON - A U.S. appeals court overturned on Friday a lower court's ruling that found probable cause to hold Trump administration officials in contempt of court over their handling of the deportations of hundreds of Venezuelan migrants under a centuries-old wartime law. The decision was a win for Republican President Donald Trump and his allies, who have argued some judges are overstepping their authority and thwarting the executive branch's broad power to conduct foreign policy and law enforcement as it sees fit. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg found in April that officials could face criminal contempt charges for willfully disregarding his March 15 order barring the deportations to El Salvador of alleged Venezuelan gang members under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act without the chance to challenge their removals. That ruling marked a dramatic escalation in a confrontation between the administration and the judiciary. Trump's critics say his administration has demonstrated a willingness to ignore unfavorable orders from the courts, a co-equal branch of government under the U.S. constitution. On Friday, a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the government in its appeal of Boasberg's ruling by a 2-1 vote. "The District Court's order raises troubling questions about judicial control over core executive functions like the conduct of foreign policy and the prosecution of criminal offenses," Circuit Judge Gregory Katsas, who was appointed by Trump during his first term as president, wrote in an opinion. Circuit Judge Neomi Rao, also a Trump appointee, wrote a concurring opinion, with Circuit Judge Cornelia Pillard, an appointee of former Democratic President Barack Obama, dissenting. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore PM Wong calls on S'poreans to band together for nation to remain exceptional in National Day message Singapore Nation building is every Singaporean's responsibility, not the work of one party alone: Pritam Singapore Four foreign leaders to attend NDP 2025 at the Padang Singapore 'This is home', for retired shop owner putting up 11th flag display in Toa Payoh to mark SG60 Singapore Singapore leaders send congratulatory letters to South Korean counterparts to mark 50 years of ties Singapore Relaxed rules 'not a silver bullet', but a step in right direction, say nightlife businesses Business Singapore's digital banks trim deposit rates, mirroring moves by incumbent players Singapore Chief Justice allows founder of site that ran fake KKH story to be called to the Bar "Our system of courts cannot long endure if disappointed litigants defy court orders with impunity rather than legally challenge them," Pillard wrote. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents the migrants, had no immediate comment. The contempt ruling stemmed from Boasberg's order that the administration return to the U.S. hundreds of Venezuelans who had been swiftly deported to a prison in El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act, used to intern and deport people of Japanese, German and Italian descent during World War Two. That ruling was meant to preserve Boasberg's jurisdiction as he weighed the ACLU's challenge to the legality of the deportations. Trump administration officials argued that the order to return migrants who had already been deported improperly interfered with U.S. foreign policy. Last month, the 252 deported Venezuelans being held at El Salvador's notorious CECOT maximum security prison were released and sent home to Venezuela as part of a coordinated prisoner exchange in which 10 Americans held in Venezuela returned to the United States. REUTERS
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
No contempt for Trump officials over Venezuela deportations, appeals court rules
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Venezuelan migrants arrive after being deported from U.S., at Simon Bolivar International Airport, in Maiquetia, Venezuela June 17, 2025. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo WASHINGTON - A U.S. appeals court overturned on Friday a lower court's ruling finding probable cause to hold Trump administration officials in contempt of court over their handling of the deportations of hundreds of Venezuelan migrants under a centuries-old wartime law. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg found in April that officials could face criminal contempt charges for willfully disregarding his March 15 order barring the deportations to El Salvador of alleged Venezuelan gang members under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act without the chance to challenge their removals. The Trump administration appealed. On Friday, a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals sided with the government by a 2-1 vote. "The District Court's order raises troubling questions about judicial control over core executive functions like the conduct of foreign policy and the prosecution of criminal offenses," Circuit Judge Gregory Katsas wrote in an opinion. REUTERS
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
US increases reward for arrest of Venezeula's Maduro to $50 million
FILE PHOTO: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro addresses supporters during a march marking the first anniversary of his victory in the disputed July 28 presidential election, in Caracas, Venezuela July 28, 2025. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo
The Star
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Deported Venezuelan imprisoned in El Salvador files formal complaint against US
FILE PHOTO: Venezuelan migrants who had been detained in El Salvador disembark from a plane at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, July 18, 2025. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A Venezuelan man filed a formal complaint on Thursday against the U.S. government for sending him to El Salvador's most notorious prison, a new legal strategy that could be duplicated by others who have said they were falsely accused of gang membership by President Donald Trump's administration. Neiyerver Adrián Leon Rengel, 27, filed what it called an administrative complaint with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, contending that federal employees wrongfully removed him from the United States without cause or due process. Rengel's complaint, which seeks $1.3 million in monetary damages, is not a lawsuit brought in a court but rather an action filed with the government alleging a violation of law. It is the first of its kind brought by one of the 252 Venezuelan men who were deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador in March. He invoked the Federal Tort Claims Act, a U.S. law that allows people to sue the U.S. government for wrongful acts committed by federal employees acting within the scope of their employment. Under that law, a complaint must be filed with the appropriate agency before a lawsuit can be brought. The government now has six months to investigate and respond to Rengel's complaint. If it denies his claim or fails to respond in that time period, Rengel could then sue in federal court. The Republican president, who campaigned in last year's election on a pledge of mass deportations, in March invoked a 1798 statute called the Alien Enemies Act as part of an effort to quickly deport alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador. The law authorizes the president to deport, detain or place restrictions on individuals whose primary allegiance is to a foreign power and who might pose a national security risk in wartime. The U.S. government last invoked the Alien Enemies Act, which historically has been employed only during wartime, during World War Two to intern and deport people of Japanese, German and Italian descent. The Venezuelan deportees were held incommunicado in El Salvador's maximum security CECOT prison until they were returned to Venezuela last week as part of a prisoner swap between the United States and Venezuela. Family and friends of some of them said the deportees were not gang members and were wrongly accused based on tattoos, hand gestures and clothing. Venezuelan government officials and deportees have said they were tortured in prison. Rengel's lawyers said in the complaint that, because of his tattoos, DHS employees detained him in the parking lot of his apartment in Irving, Texas, and falsely accused him of membership in the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin in a statement on Thursday reiterated the U.S. government's claim that Rengel was associated with Tren de Aragua and said he was "deemed a public safety threat." McLaughlin said Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem "will not allow foreign terrorist enemies to operate in our country and endanger Americans." Rengel alleged that, after moving him to a detention center, DHS employees lied to him, telling him he was being sent to Venezuela. "Instead, for more than four months, Rengel languished in El Salvador – which is not his country of origin and a place where he has no ties – where he suffered physical, verbal and psychological abuse," the complaint said. (Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Additional reporting by Ted Hesson; Editing by Amy Stevens and Will Dunham)
Straits Times
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
El Salvador sends detained Venezuelans home in swap for Americans
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: Family members of Venezuelan migrants, who the U.S. alleged were members of the Tren de Aragua gang and sent to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison in El Salvador, hold signs and pictures of their loved ones, during a protest outside the United Nations building, in Caracas, Venezuela April 22, 2025. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo WASHINGTON/CARACAS - El Salvador is sending home Venezuelans detained in the country in a prison exchange for Americans held in Venezuela, President Nayib Bukele said on Friday. Bukele, in a post on X, said those freed in Venezuela were en route to El Salvador from where they would continue "their journey home." U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the release of "ten Americans who were detained in Venezuela" and thanked Bukele for his help in securing the agreement. Reuters reported earlier on Friday that the prison swap was happening. The Venezuelan government confirmed that 252 Venezuelans held in El Salvador had been freed, calling the El Salvador prison where they have been held a "concentration camp". The Venezuelans were sent to El Salvador in March after U.S. President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to swiftly deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without going through normal immigration procedures. Family members of many of the Venezuelans and their lawyers deny they had gang ties, and say they were not given a chance to contest the Trump administration's allegations in court. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Critical infrastructure in S'pore under attack by cyber espionage group: Shanmugam Singapore What is UNC3886, the group that attacked Singapore's critical information infrastructure? Singapore Alleged Kpod peddler filmed trying to flee raid in Bishan charged with 6 offences Asia Indonesia court jails former trade minister for 4½ years in sugar graft case Singapore Singapore police in contact with Indonesian authorities over baby trafficking allegations Singapore NTU upholds zero grade for student accused of using AI in essay; panel found 14 false citations or data Singapore 7-year-old girl, cabby taken to hospital after vehicle pile-up in City Hall area Singapore Former NUH male nurse charged after he allegedly molested man at hospital Venezuela's government has always decried the detention of its citizens as a violation of human rights and international law. But the government's critics say the country holds activists and opposition figures in similar conditions in Venezuela. REUTERS
