Judge demands answers of Trump administration in Venezuela deportation case

A federal judge on Monday set a Tuesday deadline for the Trump administration to submit information regarding the flights carrying Venezuelans it deported against orders, escalating a conflict over presidential authority.

President Donald Trump asserts that the deported Venezuelans are affiliated with the prison gang Tren de Aragua, which he has labeled as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. On Saturday, the White House released a proclamation from Trump that referenced the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, stating that the gang was waging irregular warfare against the United States.

Later on Saturday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a ruling preventing the deportations, yet the flights persisted and 261 individuals were transported to El Salvador.

A lawyer from the Trump administration contended that the judge’s first oral decision to halt the flights was overridden by a later, less detailed order, and maintained that the government had the legal authority to proceed with flights once they departed from U.S. airspace.

Since assuming office in January, Trump has aimed to expand the limits of executive authority, confronting the longstanding checks and balances among the U.S. government branches.

During a court session on Monday, Boasberg consistently urged Justice Department lawyer, Abhishek Kambli, to clarify when the flights that carried the Venezuelans to El Salvador occurred, specifically if they departed after his ruling was made. The judge aims to determine the precise sequence of events related to his decisions on Saturday, including the flights’ departure times and the identities of the passengers.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that a total of 261 individuals were deported, comprising 137 who were expelled under the Alien Enemies Act and over 100 others who faced removal through regular immigration processes. She mentioned that there were 23 members of the MS-13 gang from El Salvador.