White House ignores judicial deportation blocks
The Trump administration deports alleged Venezuelan gang members under a wartime law, defying a court order


What happened
The Trump administration said Sunday it had deported dozens of Venezuelans to El Salvador on Saturday under an executive proclamation President Donald Trump quietly signed Friday, claiming wartime powers under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to summarily expel alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang. The deportations appeared to defy an order from U.S. District Judge James Boasberg. Another federal judge said Sunday that immigration officials in Boston had apparently "willfully" deported Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese kidney transplant specialist at Brown University with a valid H-1B visa, despite his order blocking her expulsion.
Who said what
Boasberg told government lawyers at 6:47 p.m. on Saturday that any airplanes with people being deported under the 1798 law must "immediately" return to the U.S, even if that meant "turning around the plane." The Alien Enemies Act has only been invoked three times, most recently in World War II to inter Japanese Americans.
According to flight tracking sites and video posted by El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, three flights carrying 261 immigrants landed in San Salvador more than five hours after Boasberg's restraining order, and one left Texas 10 minutes after it was filed. "Oopsie, too late," Bukele said Sunday on X, with a laughing emoji. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reposted the comment. The video showed the deportees transported to a notorious prison.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Boasberg's written order, filed at 7:26 p.m., "didn't explicitly mention planes that were already in the air," The Wall Street Journal said. "Typically lawyers view orders issued orally by judges as carrying full legal weight," but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt "appeared to point to" that omission Sunday. The White House "did not 'refuse to comply' with a court order," she said.
Legal analysts Sunday were "stitching together the timeline" to determine "how close the Trump administration is to open defiance of the Constitution's system of checks and balances," The New York Times said. "We wanted them on the ground first, before a judge could get the case, but this is how it worked out," a White House official told Axios. Two officials said the White House ignored Boasberg's order after lawyers decided it did not apply because the planes were out of U.S. airspace.
What next?
Boasberg scheduled a Friday hearing on the merits of the case, even as the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., weighs the Trump administration's appeal.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Chess on TV: a winning strategy?
Talking Point The popularity of chess is surging, but a new reality TV show struggles to capitalise on the craze
By Genevieve Bates Published
-
Today's political cartoons - March 17, 2025
Cartoons Monday's cartoons - luck of the DOGE, viral misinformation, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Are we on the brink of a recession?
Today's Big Question Britain's shrinking economy is likely to upend Rachel Reeves' Spring Statement spending plans
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
J.D. Vance: Trump's attack dog
In the Spotlight The 'hillbilly in the White House' is used to being the odd one out in a room
By The Week UK Published
-
Is Donald Trump a Russian agent?
The Explainer 'We have to consider the possibility that President Trump is a Russian asset' former Tory minister Graham Stuart tweeted last week. Do we?
By The Week UK Published
-
Trump's military makeover: fewer rules, more violence
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The president and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have begun dramatically rewriting the guidelines for armed forces' operations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Schumer: Democrats will help pass spending bill
Speed Read The Democrats end the threat of government shutdown
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump pulls nomination of anti-vax CDC pick
Speed Read Former Florida congressmen Dr. Dave Weldon was nominated to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Judges tell Trump to rehire fired federal workers
Speed Read Trump and Elon Musk's DOGE team face a big setback in their efforts to shrink the federal workforce
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How feasible is a Ukraine ceasefire?
Today's Big Question Kyiv has condemned Putin's 'manipulative' response to proposed agreement
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Is America heading toward competitive authoritarianism?
Today's Big Question Some experts argue that the country's current democratic system is fading
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published