The Trump administration has faced backlash after deporting hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador despite a federal judge’s order temporarily barring the deportations. The deportations were carried out under an 18th-century wartime declaration targeting Venezuelan gang members. The judge had issued an order blocking the deportations, but flights were already in the air. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, a Trump ally, expressed regret over the situation on social media.
The Trump administration invoked an obscure law, the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, in order to deport the migrants. The law grants the president extraordinary powers to detain or remove foreigners during wartime. The ACLU, which filed the lawsuit against the deportations, has raised questions about whether the removals to El Salvador violated the court order.
The deported migrants were said to be members of Tren de Aragua, a gang originating in Venezuela, but no evidence of their criminal activities in the U.S. has been provided. The migrants were transported to a prison in El Salvador in a heavily guarded convoy. The use of the wartime declaration has been criticized by Venezuela’s government as reminiscent of dark periods in history.
The federal judge overseeing the case has issued a temporary restraining order on deportations and has scheduled a hearing to further address the situation. The judge emphasized the importance of allowing the migrants to have their pleas heard in court before being deported. The deportations have raised concerns about due process and the treatment of immigrants in custody.
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