The Trump administration deported more than 200 suspected Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, disregarding a temporary restraining order from a federal judge. Two flights departed despite Judge Boasberg's decision, transferring migrants to El Salvador's CECOT maximum-security prison.
The significance lies in the unprecedented application of a wartime law for deportations without clear evidence of gang ties, prompting legal apprehensions. The administration failed to substantiate that those deported were members of Tren de Aragua or had engaged in criminal activities in the US. Meanwhile, the fate of the deportees in El Salvador remains uncertain.