DOJ requests delay in returning deported Venezuelans to US after Maduro arrest

The Justice Department has requested a weeklong delay in returning a group of Venezuelan nationals deported under the Alien Enemies Act to the United States, citing the recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela.

Defendants for the Trump administration have been facing a Monday deadline imposed by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg to either "facilitate the return" of the Venezuelan nationals to the U.S. or "otherwise provide them with hearings that satisfy the requirements of due process." The Venezuelans in question were deported in March 2025 to a megaprison in El Salvador due to their alleged ties to the Tren de Aragua gang, before being transferred to Venezuela under a prisoner exchange.