The U.S. federal judge ordered that 252 Venezuelan men transferred to a Salvadoran prison be afforded legal due process — either through U.S. immigration hearings or by being returned. The ruling allows them to challenge U.S. claims that they belong to the Tren de Aragua gang under an 18th‑century wartime statute. Migrants allege physical and psychological torture in El Salvador and report ongoing fear and hardship after their July return to Venezuela. Caracas says it is preparing legal action with U.S. bar groups and human rights organizations.
U.S. Judge Orders Due Process for 252 Venezuelan Men Sent to El Salvador; Migrants Demand Justice
Arturo Suarez, a Venezuelan migrant sent by the U.S. to El Salvador and later deported to Venezuela, walks with his family after reading a statement at a government building in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Men who were among 252 Venezuelan migrants transferred earlier this year by the United States to a prison in El Salvador held a news conference in Caracas to demand justice after a federal judge in Washington ordered the U.S. government to provide them with legal due process.
Judge's Ruling and Legal Path
On Monday, a federal judge instructed the U.S. government either to provide immigration hearings for the men or to return them to the United States. The ruling creates a legal pathway for the migrants to contest the Trump administration's allegation that they are members of the Tren de Aragua gang and therefore removable under an 18th-century wartime statute.
Allegations of Abuse and Ongoing Harm
The men have repeatedly said they suffered physical and psychological torture while detained at the notorious Salvadoran prison. Several described continuing problems since their return to Venezuela, including fear of leaving their homes and anxiety about encounters with law enforcement.
Tito Martinez, a Venezuelan migrant sent by the U.S. to El Salvador and later deported to Venezuela, walks with his family after reading a statement at a government building in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“Today, we are here to demand justice before the world for the human rights violations committed against each of us, and to ask for help from international organizations to assist us in our defense so that our human rights are respected and not violated again,” said Andry Blanco at the Caracas news conference, where roughly two dozen migrants gathered.
Not all of the men want to return to the United States. "I don't trust them," said Nolberto Aguilar when asked about the U.S. government.
Timeline and Diplomatic Moves
The group was flown to El Salvador in March and returned to Venezuela in July as part of a prisoner swap between the Trump administration and the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Venezuelan officials say they have retained legal counsel for the migrants and are coordinating with a U.S. bar association and international human rights organizations to prepare a major lawsuit against the U.S. government.
The judge's order shifts the dispute from diplomatic and administrative channels into the U.S. courts, where the migrants may now seek to challenge both the factual basis for the Tren de Aragua allegations and the legality of their transfer and treatment.
