According to the President of El Salvador, the United States has deported over 200 alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, sending them to a high-security prison. U.S. President Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemy Act to swiftly deport these alleged members of the "Tren de Aragua" criminal organization, which is linked to crimes such as kidnapping, extortion, and contract killings.
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03-17, 2025A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has blocked the implementation of the act for 14 days, arguing that the statute refers to "hostile acts" committed by another country that are "tantamount to war." El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele posted on X that 238 alleged Venezuelan gang members arrived in El Salvador on Sunday and were transferred to the Terrorism Confinement Center, a mega-prison capable of housing up to 40,000 inmates, for a period of one year, which can be renewed.
President Bukele also released a video showing shackled men disembarking from a plane under the escort of Salvadoran authorities before being transported to the prison by bus. The prisoners were subsequently shaved bald and their beards removed before being locked in cells. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X that more than 250 alleged members of "Tren de Aragua" had been sent to El Salvador.
It remains unclear when the flights transporting these alleged gang members departed from the United States and arrived in El Salvador. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued the order blocking the use of the Alien Enemy Act at a hearing on Saturday evening before 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with the written notice appearing in the case record at 7:25 p.m. local time. At the hearing, Judge Boasberg stated that any flights transporting immigrants processed under the act should be returned to the United States.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has challenged the Trump administration's use of the act, with ACLU chief counsel Lee Gelernt telling Reuters that the union has asked the government to ensure that no immigrants were deported in violation of the order. "If anyone was turned over to a foreign government after the court order, we would expect the U.S. government to work with that foreign government to repatriate those individuals," Gelernt said. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the State Department, and the Salvadoran government have not responded to requests for comment. President Bukele responded to an article about the blocked deportation order on X on Sunday, stating, "Oops... too late," and adding a smiley face emoji.
The Alien Enemy Act, most famously used during World War II to justify the internment camps detaining people of Japanese, German, and Italian descent, would allow the Trump administration to bypass U.S. immigration courts and swiftly deport these immigrants. The government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has stated that they reject the U.S.'s use of this "obsolete" law to deport alleged gang members, claiming it violates the rights of immigrants. The U.S. government has not provided details about those deported or any criminal convictions.
Both President Bukele and Secretary of State Rubio stated that the U.S. also sent 23 members of the Salvadoran gang MS-13 to El Salvador. The Associated Press reported on Saturday that the U.S. has agreed to pay El Salvador $6 million (A$9.4 million) to incarcerate 300 alleged members of "Tren de Aragua" for one year. Supporters of President Trump in Congress have raised the threat of impeaching judges who make rulings unfavorable to the administration. President Trump's billionaire supporter Elon Musk frequently calls for the removal of judges on his social media site X.
President Trump launched a wide-ranging crackdown on immigration after taking office on January 20, vowing to deport millions of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. While the Trump administration has been working to increase the number of deportations, it has opened up new avenues for arresting and deporting immigrants. The Trump administration has appealed Saturday's legal ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
