A federal judge, appointed by former President Barack Obama, issued a ruling on Saturday that temporarily blocks President Donald Trump’s recent executive order classifying violent Venezuelan prison gang members as foreign terrorists.
The judge’s decision, which mandates that all deportation flights involving these individuals be halted or returned, has sparked sharp criticism from the White House.
However, administration officials have stated that the ruling came too late, as the deportees had already been removed from U.S. soil.
Judge James Boasberg, presiding over the U.S. District Court in Washington, imposed a 14-day suspension on Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to facilitate the immediate expulsion of gang members. His order applied retroactively to flights already in progress.
“Any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States however that is accomplished. Make sure it’s complied with immediately,” Boasberg directed.
Citing urgency, the judge added, “I do not believe I can wait any longer and am required to act,” but also asserted that the delay in deportations would not harm the federal government since the individuals in question would remain in custody.
The ruling provoked swift backlash from Attorney General Pam Bondi, who condemned the decision as a direct threat to public safety.
“Tonight, a DC trial judge supported Tren de Aragua terrorists over the safety of Americans. TdA is represented by the ACLU. This order disregards well-established authority regarding President Trump’s power, and it puts the public and law enforcement at risk,” Bondi stated.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also weighed in, defending Trump’s use of executive power.
“President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation Invoking the Alien Enemies Act regarding the Invasion of the United States by the Foreign Terrorist Organization Tren De Aragua, using his core powers as President and Commander-in-Chief to defend the American People from an urgent threat,” Leavitt stated in a post on X.
She continued, “President Trump will always put the safety of the American People first — and he will never allow foreign terrorist enemies to operate on American soil and endanger our people. They will be found, restrained, and removed — and their networks will be destroyed.”
By Sunday, the White House confirmed that the individuals in question had already been deported before Boasberg’s ruling took effect.
Leavitt pushed back against accusations that the administration had disregarded the court order, arguing that it had no legal merit and was issued only after the deportation process had been completed.
“The Administration did not ‘refuse to comply’ with a court order. The order, which had no lawful basis, was issued after terrorist TdA aliens had already been removed from U.S. territory. The written order and the Administration’s actions do not conflict,” she explained.
Leavitt also underscored the limitations of judicial authority over the president’s constitutional powers in matters of national security.
“Moreover, as the Supreme Court has repeatedly made clear — federal courts generally have no jurisdiction over the President’s conduct of foreign affairs, his authorities under the Alien Enemies Act, and his core Article II powers to remove foreign alien terrorists from U.S. soil and repel a declared invasion,” she wrote.
“A single judge in a single city cannot direct the movements of an aircraft carrier full of foreign alien terrorists who were physically expelled from U.S. soil.”
Trump himself took to Truth Social, posting a video of the deported individuals disembarking and reiterating his stance against the influx of criminals into the country.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 16, 2025
“These are the monsters sent into our Country by Crooked Joe Biden and the Radical Left Democrats. How dare they! Thank you to El Salvador and, in particular, President Bukele, for your understanding of this horrible situation, which was allowed to happen in the United States because of incompetent Democrat leadership. We will not forget!” Trump wrote.
Upon arrival in El Salvador, the deportees were reportedly transferred to a high-security mega-prison as part of a cooperative agreement between the Trump administration and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
Bukele confirmed that over 230 members of the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were among those deported, along with 21 members of the infamous MS-13.
“On this occasion, the U.S. has also sent us 23 MS-13 members wanted by Salvadoran justice, including two ringleaders. One of them is a member of the criminal organization’s highest structure,” Bukele stated.
“This will help us finalize intelligence gathering and go after the last remnants of MS-13, including its former and new members, money, weapons, drugs, hideouts, collaborators, and sponsors,” he added.
He further underscored the broader significance of the deportations, noting that the intelligence gained would aid in dismantling criminal networks both in El Salvador and abroad.
“As always, we continue advancing in the fight against organized crime. But this time, we are also helping our allies, making our prison system self-sustainable, and obtaining vital intelligence to make our country an even safer place. All in a single action. May God bless El Salvador, and may God bless the United States,” Bukele declared.
