Federal Judge in Utah Orders Trump Administration to Return Man Wrongfully Deported by ICE
A Utah federal judge has confirmed a dramatic court order requiring the Trump administration to return a man wrongfully deported to Mexico, deepening conflict over immigration and court authority.
The judge’s decision comes after federal immigration officials removed Federico Reyes Vasquez from the United States despite a judge’s explicit order that he not be deported while his case was pending. That tension between judicial orders and immigration enforcement is now at the forefront in Utah.
According to court documents reviewed by KSL, U.S. District Judge Jill Parrish ruled Wednesday that Reyes must be brought back to the U.S. by Jan. 21, and that federal officials should cover travel and housing costs to ensure his return. Parrish had issued a Dec. 22 stay of removal, but Reyes was deported on Dec. 23 in violation of that order.
This ruling adds a new complication: while federal officials now say they are coordinating Reyes’ return with his attorney, they also maintain there was a valid prior deportation order and that Parrish’s order wasn’t communicated to field officials in time.
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“We will be investigating and exploring those options,” Reyes’ lawyer said, noting his belief that the removal violated due process.
The judge’s order matters because it asserts that federal agencies must comply with judicial stays, even amid aggressive deportation efforts spanning the Trump administration.
Reyes, who has lived in the U.S. about 21 years and has U.S.-citizen children, remains in central Mexico while his case proceeds.
Federal officials must report back to the court on progress toward his return, raising questions about operational communication within ICE.
What happens next…
That depends on whether Reyes can resume his legal fight in U.S. immigration court and how this decision affects other cases where removal orders and judicial stays collide.
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