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US secretary of state Marco Rubio made headlines when he announced that hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members had been sent to El Salvador. This move came shortly after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from using a centuries-old law to expedite deportations.
In a social media post, Rubio revealed that over 250 members of the Tren de Aragua gang were transferred to El Salvador. El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, had agreed to house these individuals in the country’s prisons, which Rubio described as “very good jails at a fair price that will also save our taxpayer dollars.”
President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 over the weekend to justify the removal of these alleged gang members. The administration claimed that they had unlawfully entered the United States and were engaging in hostile actions against the country.
The Alien Enemies Act, which dates back to the time of the second world war, was last utilized to intern non-US citizens of Italian, German, and Japanese descent, a controversial chapter in American history.
However, US federal judge James Boasberg intervened by blocking the deportation of these individuals for a period of 14 days. Boasberg argued that the law invoked by Trump did not align with the president’s proclamation and did not warrant the removal of these individuals.
In response to the judge’s decision, US attorney-general Pam Bondi criticized the ruling, stating that it prioritized the alleged gang members over the safety of Americans. Rubio also mentioned that two top leaders of the MS-13 gang and 21 of its most wanted members were deported back to El Salvador to face justice.
The White House issued a statement commending the Department of Homeland Security for apprehending nearly 300 Tren De Aragua terrorists, stating that their removal to El Salvador had safeguarded American lives.
Trump’s executive order represents his administration’s continued crackdown on immigration, which includes measures to limit birthright citizenship and declaring a national emergency at the US-Mexico border.
While the order targets members of Tren de Aragua, it also grants the Secretary of Homeland Security discretion to apprehend and remove any Alien Enemy under separate authority, potentially expanding the scope of deportations without due process.
Critics have denounced the use of the Alien Enemies Act as an abuse of power to strip individuals of their legal rights. The government recently designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, following Trump’s directive to assess various groups for national security threats.
Legal experts have raised concerns about the broad powers granted to the president under the Alien Enemies Act, particularly regarding mass deportations without judicial review.
The executive order was issued shortly after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of five Venezuelan men in immigration custody, challenging the constitutionality of the Alien Enemies Act.
As the government appeals the temporary restraining order issued by Judge Boasberg, the debate over the use of this wartime measure continues to unfold. Stay informed with the White House Watch newsletter for in-depth analysis of the latest developments in Washington and beyond.
