Trump's Controversial Deportation: Alien Enemies Act Revived

President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport over 130 Venezuelan men, allegedly affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang. They were sent to a notorious El Salvador prison. Legal challenges arose, leading to a court order halting deportations, but flights continued despite judicial intervention.

In a bold move, President Donald Trump reignited the rarely-used 1798 Alien Enemies Act, targeting Venezuelan immigrants linked to the Tren de Aragua gang. This move set off a flurry of legal battles and a clash with federal judiciary directives.

Over 130 Venezuelan citizens, some asserting legal residency in the United States, were hastily deported and transferred to El Salvador under a surreptitiously struck deal with President Nayib Bukele. The detainees faced overcrowded conditions in a notorious prison, despite ongoing legal disputes surrounding their gang affiliation claims.

Federal Judge James E. Boasberg issued an injunction to halt the deportations, yet reports confirmed that deportation flights progressed unopposed, stirring a complex legal and political confrontation at the highest levels of the U.S. government.

(With inputs from agencies.)