US Defies Court Order, Deports Venezuelan Gang Members to El Salvador

In a controversial move, over 200 Venezuelans were deported from the US to El Salvador despite a federal judge's ruling, highlighting ongoing tensions around immigration policy and judicial authority.

A plane carrying more than 200 Venezuelans deported by the US has landed in El Salvador, seemingly in defiance of a recent court ruling that prohibited such actions. The flight arrived in San Salvador with 238 individuals associated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, alongside 23 members of the infamous MS-13 gang. El Salvador's President, Nayib Bukele, expressed his amusement on social media about the timing of the deportations, which occurred mere hours after US District Judge James Boasberg issued a ruling to halt them.

In his post, Bukele cheekily remarked, "Oopsie... Too late," while indicating that the detainees would be placed in a Terrorism Confinement Center for an initial year, with the possibility of extension. He further noted the financial implications of this deportation, emphasizing that the costs for his nation would be significantly higher than those for the United States. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged the arrival of these alleged gang members, praising Bukele as a pivotal security leader in the region.

The legality of these deportations hinged on President Donald Trump’s proclamation which invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, allowing the federal government to detain and deport individuals deemed a threat to national safety without due process. Following reports of departures, Judge Boasberg intervened, directing that planes with detainees not take off. In a video shared by Bukele, deportees were seen shackled and being escorted by armed personnel from the aircraft to waiting vehicles. This incident underscores the ongoing challenges facing US immigration policies and the judicial system's ability to regulate them, particularly in relation to executive actions.