President Donald Trump has faced controversy on the 17th (local time) over effectively pushing ahead with the forced deportation of Mexican nationals suspected of being part of a 'gang' despite a court's obstruction.
The White House and the Department of Justice have claimed they did not violate the court's order, but there are criticisms within the U.S. that the Trump administration ignored the court's orders, leading to a 'constitutional crisis.'
On the 14th, President Trump signed a proclamation to apply the Enemy Alien Act to illegal immigration deportations. The Enemy Alien Act, enacted in 1798, is designed to allow for the swift deportation of individuals from enemy nations during wartime.
Subsequently, on the 15th, the government deported more than 260 immigrants to El Salvador, with reports from The New York Times (NYT) noting that the Enemy Alien Act was applied to 137 of the deportations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the deported individuals included 250 members of 'Tren de Aragua (TdA),' a criminal organization operating in Venezuela.
The issue is that a court issued a 'stay of deportation' decision at the time these individuals were being deported. Earlier, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit on behalf of Venezuelan nationals, claiming that President Trump's deportation order was illegal, and a restraining order was issued accordingly.
Regarding the timing of the deportations, ACLU representatives claimed, 'The judge verbally issued a stay order, saying that if necessary, planes could be turned around, and flights occurred after that point.'
In response, White House Spokesperson Caroline Levitt noted during a briefing that 'there is doubt about whether a verbal order has the same effect as a written one,' adding, 'Our attorneys are prepared to ask and answer this in court. We are confident that we will prevail on this matter in court.'
The Department of Justice reportedly repeated its position that there has been no violation of the court's order, refusing to confirm specific details such as the number of flights, citing national security concerns.
Tom Homan, the White House Border Czar, expressed in a Fox News interview, 'We will not stop. I don't care what judges or the left think,' asserting the administration's intention to continue with forced deportations.