Court Order Temporarily Halted Deportations, but Flights Had Already Taken Off
The Trump administration has deported hundreds of Venezuelan nationals, allegedly linked to the Tren de Aragua gang, to a high-security prison in El Salvador, despite a judge’s ruling to halt their removal.
Legal Challenge and Deportation Flights
US District Judge James E. Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order on Saturday to prevent further deportations. However, government lawyers informed the court that two flights had already departed—one to El Salvador and the other to Honduras.
Although Judge Boasberg verbally instructed that the planes be turned around, his written order did not include this directive. The White House later defended its actions, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating that the administration had not defied the ruling. She argued that the court’s decision “had no legal basis” as the deportations had already been carried out.
Political Response and Justification
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday, President Donald Trump avoided directly addressing whether his administration had breached the court order. Instead, he stated, “I can tell you this. These were bad people.” He also described the situation as “an invasion” and hinted at invoking presidential wartime powers under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a rarely used law previously enforced only during major conflicts, such as the War of 1812 and the World Wars.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who agreed to detain around 300 Venezuelans in the country’s prison system under a one-year, $6 million agreement, reacted on social media, posting “Oopsie… Too late” in response to reports of the court ruling.
Lack of Transparency and Controversy
The administration has not provided details on the identities of those deported or concrete evidence linking them to criminal activity in the US. In addition to Venezuelan detainees, two high-ranking members of the Salvadoran MS-13 gang, previously arrested in the US, were also sent back to El Salvador.
Tren de Aragua, originally formed inside a notorious Venezuelan prison, expanded its operations internationally as millions of Venezuelans fled their country amid economic collapse. While many migrants sought better living conditions, US officials have repeatedly claimed that gang members exploited migration routes to enter the country.
This latest deportation move has sparked legal and political controversy, raising questions about executive power, due process, and the treatment of migrants under the Trump administration.
