A federal judge is demanding answers after two deportation flights proceeded despite a court order halting removals under an 18th-century law. The Trump administration now faces scrutiny over whether it defied judicial authority or acted within a legal gray area.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a temporary two-week halt to deportations tied to President Donald Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798—an obscure law invoked to justify the expulsion of alleged Venezuelan gang members. Yet, two planes carrying deportees still took off over the weekend, landing in El Salvador. Now, the judge wants specifics.
Boasberg ordered the Justice Department to disclose precise flight timelines, including takeoff times, airspace exit points, landing details, and the number of individuals deported solely under the controversial act. The government has argued that the flights departed before the judge’s written ruling was issued and that verbal orders in court were not legally binding.
The administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act has sparked a legal showdown, as the law was previously used to justify internment during World War II. Boasberg pushed back, ruling that the act does not support the administration’s claim that the Venezuelan criminal network Tren de Aragua constitutes an act of war.
Meanwhile, tensions with Venezuela are escalating. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has threatened further sanctions if the country refuses to accept deportees, while Venezuelan officials decry the removals as illegal. Families of deported individuals, including those with no known gang affiliations, are struggling to track down loved ones now reportedly held in El Salvador.
Trump has responded with his characteristic defiance, calling for Boasberg’s impeachment—a move swiftly rejected by U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts, who emphasized that judicial rulings should be challenged through the appeals process, not political retaliation. Despite the Supreme Court’s rebuke, congressional Republicans have introduced impeachment articles against Boasberg, deepening the battle between the executive branch and the judiciary.
As the standoff continues, the administration must now produce the details Judge Boasberg has demanded, or risk deeper legal consequences.
