The Trump administration has deported more than 200 Venezuelans from the United States to a large prison in El Salvador, despite a federal judge's order to return them to the U.S.
The White House stated that it was not defying the court but argued that it was within its rights to disregard the judge's ruling. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, "A single judge in a single city cannot direct the movements of an aircraft carrier full of foreign alien terrorists who were physically expelled from U.S. soil."
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., had previously President application of the, an 18th-century law known for its use in rounding up U.S. residents of Japanese descent and placing them in internment camps during World War II.
President Trump aimed to use the Act's rarely used wartime powers to expedite the deportation of alleged members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang involved in kidnapping, extortion, and contract killings.
During a Saturday evening hearing, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg halted the use of the law for 14 days, stating that the statute pertains to "hostile acts" by another country that are "commensurate to war." Boasberg directed that any flights carrying migrants processed under the law should return to the U.S.
El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele took to social media, responding with humor to news of the deportation flights not abiding by the judge's order, which was shared by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The Trump administration mentioned in a court filing that "some" of the Venezuelans had already been deported from the U.S. before the judge's order, but did not provide further details or comments on the matter.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which contested Trump's use of the law, urged the administration to ensure no migrants were unlawfully removed after the court's order. ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt emphasized cooperation to repatriate any individuals deported in violation of the order.
Requests for comments from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the State Department, and the Salvadoran government went unanswered.
El Salvador's President Bukele stated that the 238 men, alleged members of the Venezuelan gang, would be housed in the Terrorism Confinement Center, capable of accommodating up to 40,000 inmates, for a renewable one-year term.