A federal judge recently expressed serious concerns during a hearing regarding the Trump administration’s deportation of Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador. This move came despite an earlier court ruling that explicitly blocked such actions. The dispute centers on whether the administration is adhering to the law, with implications that could escalate to the Supreme Court.
During the hearing, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg questioned Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign about why the administration proceeded with deportations when a 14-day pause had been ordered. This temporary halt was meant to prevent the deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, which is typically used in wartime.
On the previous Saturday, at least 261 migrants were deported, including over 100 Venezuelans, which raised the judge’s eyebrows since those removals were based on a law that he had already ruled against. Boasberg pressed Ensign for details about these deportation flights, citing a lack of transparency from the government.
The judge openly challenged the timeline of the deportations, questioning why a proclamation allowing them was made under the cover of night. This raised suspicions that the administration was trying to avoid legal trouble by sending individuals out of the country quickly.
As the hearing progressed, Boasberg reminded Ensign of previous conversations about the flights and demanded an explanation as to why he was misinformed about their status. Ensign admitted he was not informed about the flights being airborne at the time he was questioned.
The judge has now ordered the Trump administration to explain by Tuesday why they did not comply with the ruling to return deported individuals and whether there was an intention to disregard the court’s authority. While the government has significant freedom to enforce immigration laws, Boasberg has shown increasing frustration at their failure to provide crucial information regarding these flights.
He raised alarm about the potential consequences of allowing such broad interpretation of deportation authority, indicating that if unchecked, the president could claim that any person entering U.S. waters poses a threat and should be deported.
In a recent court filing, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche indicated that discussions are underway at higher levels about possibly invoking state secrets to protect certain information related to this controversy. This could be presented at an appellate court hearing next week.
Meanwhile, President Trump took to social media, urging the Supreme Court to intervene and limit the power of federal judges, who he claims have obstructed over 300 of his executive actions. In his post, he warned of serious trouble for the country if the situation is not addressed promptly.
