Trump Administration Defies Court Order, Deports Alleged Venezuelan Gang Members
The Trump administration has deported hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members despite a judge's order blocking their removal. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg had issued a temporary restraining order, directing that any planes already in the air be turned around. However, the White House argued that the order had "no lawful basis" and claimed the individuals had already been removed from U.S. soil when it was issued. The administration also justified the move under the Alien Enemies Act, with Trump calling the deportees "bad people" and stating, "This is war."
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele confirmed that at least 238 men were sent to El Salvador, where they were transferred to the Terrorism Confinement Center, a supermax prison. Bukele mocked the court order on social media, writing, "Oopsie... Too late," alongside a video of the men arriving under heavy security. The Trump administration has not provided evidence that the deported individuals were members of the Tren de Aragua gang, but it has maintained that they pose a national security threat.
The Justice Department has since appealed Boasberg’s ruling, arguing that the courts have no jurisdiction over the president’s decision to deport foreign nationals. Legal experts have pushed back, with Georgetown law professor Steve Vladeck stating, "A federal court's jurisdiction does not stop at the water's edge." The D.C. Circuit Court has ordered a response from the plaintiffs' attorneys by Tuesday at 5 p.m., while the fate of the deported individuals remains uncertain.
