The U.S. government has deported more than 200 Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador, even though a federal judge had ordered their return. The deportees, were alleged to be part of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, and were taken to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, a facility that can accommodate up to 40,000 inmates.
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has temporarily stopped deportations, ruling that the Trump administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act was being applied incorrectly. The judge said that this law is meant for wartime conflicts, not for gang related activities, and instructed that any deportation flights should return. However, the administration claimed that some deportations had already occurred before the court's order.
On social media, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele couldn’t resist mocking the court’s intervention, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio showed his appreciation for Bukele’s cooperation. The White House, on the other hand, defended its stance, saying it was adhering to the ruling but also saying that they had the final say in deportations.
The ACLU or the American Civil Liberties Union, which has been fighting against the deportations, is demanding that the government to confirm that no one was removed after the court's ruling. Attorney Lee Gelernt from the ACLU said that they need to bring back anyone who was deported after the court order.