Update (2112ET): The Trump administration says it disregarded a judge’s order to turn around two planeloads of Venezuelan criminals because the flights were over international waters and therefore the ruling did not apply, Axios reports, citing two senior officials – one of whom made clear that it’s “Very important that people understand we are not actively defying court orders.”
The Trump administration argues that US District Judge James Boasberg overstepped his authority when he issued an order blocking the president from deporting roughly 250 alleged Tren de Aragua gang members under the Alien Enemies Act of 1789, a wartime law that gives the executive branch immense power to deport noncitizens without judicial hearings.
“This is headed to the Supreme Court. And we’re going to win,” a senior White House official told Axios, adding “It’s the showdown that was always going to happen between the two branches of government.”
“And it seemed that this was pretty clean. You have Venezuelan gang members … These are bad guys, as the president would say.”
Axios then cites Democrat attorney Mark S. Zaid…
this guy…
I’ve gotten clearances for guys who had child porn issues
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) February 11, 2018
…who posted on X “Court order defied. First of many as I’ve been warning and start of true constitutional crisis,” adding that it could eventually lead to another Trump impeachment, according to Axios.
According to the report, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller “orchestrated” the flights in the West Wing in tandem with DHS Secretary Kristy Noem.
More via Axios:
The timeline: The president signed the executive order invoking the Alien Enemies Act on Friday night, but intentionally did not advertise it. On Saturday morning, word of the order leaked, officials said, prompting a mad scramble to get planes in the air.
- At 2:31 p.m. Saturday, an immigration activist who tracks deportation flights, posted on X that “TWO HIGHLY UNUSUAL ICE flights” were departing from Texas to El Salvador, which had agreed to accept Venezuelan gang members deported from the U.S.
- Hours later, during a court hearing filed by the ACLU., Boasberg ordered a halt to the deportations and said any flights should be turned around mid-air.
- “This is something that you need to make sure is complied with immediately,” he told the Justice Department, according to the Washington Post.
- At that point, about 6:51 p.m., both flights were off the Yucatan Peninsula, according to flight paths posted on X.
REPORT: Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller secretly orchestrated the Venezuelan gang members’ flights to El Salvador to get the criminals out of the country before an activist judge could take action.
Brilliant.
According to Axios, the Trump administration *ignored* the court… pic.twitter.com/oojJSyxWgL
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 16, 2025
An internal discussion was had in the White House as to whether they should order the planes to turn around – only to press ahead per administration lawyers.
“There was a discussion about how far the judge’s ruling can go under the circumstances and over international waters and, on advice of counsel, we proceeded with deporting these thugs,” said the senior official.
“They were already outside of US airspace. We believe the order is not applicable,” said the other official.
It’s ridiculous that a Democratic president can import violent gang members, but a Republican president can’t deport them.
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) March 16, 2025
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Pick up one of these lighter / flashlight combos!
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Update (1220ET): In response to judge James Boasberg’s move to halt the Trump administration’s deportation of alleged gang members, Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) says he’s filing articles of impeachment against the judge.Â
“I’ll be filing Articles of Impeachment against activist judge James Boasberg this week,” Gill posted on X.
I’ll be filing Articles of Impeachment against activist judge James Boasberg this week. pic.twitter.com/kh4vfooS2A
— Congressman Brandon Gill (@RepBrandonGill) March 16, 2025
In response to Boasberg’s order (read all about it below), Attorney General Pam Bondi made an emergency filing with the DC Circuit Court to pause the order, asking the court to “halt this massive, unauthorized imposition on the Executive’s authority to remove people that Defendants had determined to be members of TdA (Tren de Aragua).
The Supreme Court in 1948 upheld the law and banned federal courts from even reviewing presidential actions undertaken pursuant to the law. Unelected inferior judges have no authority to seize the powers of the presidency or to overturn Supreme Court rulings. https://t.co/e8opuydE7D
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) March 16, 2025
Maybe the Trump administration should just take AOC’s advice to ignore the court?
“The Biden Administration should ignore the court” – AOC, 2023 pic.twitter.com/fHF4PAykQT
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 11, 2025
Oopsie… Too Late
Boasberg’s order was issued while a plane full of Venezuelan prisoners was headed to El Salvador – eventually landing in the country…
“Today, the first 238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization, Tren de Aragua, arrived in our country. They were immediately transferred to CECOT, the Terrorism Confinement Center, for a period of one year (renewable),” said President Nayib Bukele on X. “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.”
Today, the first 238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization, Tren de Aragua, arrived in our country. They were immediately transferred to CECOT, the Terrorism Confinement Center, for a period of one year (renewable).
The United States will pay a very low fee for them,… pic.twitter.com/tfsi8cgpD6
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) March 16, 2025
Then, responding to Boasberg’s order, Bukele posted: “Oopsie… Too late“
Oopsie…
Too late 😂 pic.twitter.com/nDHL6deLJq
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) March 16, 2025
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Have you picked up a John O. flag yet at ZH Store?
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A federal judge who’s been a critical ally to the deep state has preemptively blocked the Trump administration from deporting five Venezuelan nationals under the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) of 1978.
US District Judge James Boasberg (more on that below) issued his preemptive ruling a few hours after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a motion on the Venezuelans’ behalf against Trump’s reported plan to invoke the AEA to accelerate the removal of illegals from the US.
The ACLU asked Boasberg to block the use of the law, though Trump has yet to invoke it. Boasberg, of course, complied, granting a restraining order Saturday morning that prevents the administration from removing the five Venezuelan nationals for two weeks so the judge can hold a hearing on their challenge.
In their filing, the ACLU, alongside Democracy Forward and the ACLU of the District of Columbia, stated that the government has moved the Venezuelans – alleged members of Tren De Aragua, to a facility in Texas, which they state are being used “as staging facilities to remove Venezuelan men under the AEA.”
Of note, the Trump administration officially declared Tren de Aragua a terrorist organization last month.
If the name Boasberg rings a bell, refresh your memory below…
Boasberg is the judge who was in charge of FISA when it was being used to illegally spy on Trump as part of an operation to overthrow the president. https://t.co/btXKlSfqB6
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) January 9, 2024
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The ACLU’s wish is his command!
Tyler Durden
Sun, 03/16/2025 – 21:11
