On March 16, 2025, the Trump administration deported hundreds of alleged gang members, primarily Venezuelans accused of ties to the Tren de Aragua gang, to El Salvador, despite a federal judge’s ruling temporarily halting such actions under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
The move, executed in collaboration with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, sparked widespread controversy, with reports from BBC, CNN, NBC, Fox News, and other outlets highlighting a potential violation of judicial authority, raising questions about executive overreach, and igniting debates over immigration policy, legal accountability, and human rights.
While the administration celebrated the removal of what it called “heinous monsters,” critics, including the ACLU, condemned the lack of transparency and due process, as the deportees were swiftly transferred to El Salvador’s notorious mega-prison, the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).
The Deportation Operation: A Swift and Controversial Move
The Trump administration’s deportation operation unfolded rapidly over the weekend of March 15-16, 2025. On Saturday, President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a rarely used 18th-century wartime law, to justify the swift removal of over 200 alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
According to Fox News, a senior administration official confirmed that 261 individuals were deported, including 137 under the Alien Enemies Act, 101 Venezuelans via standard immigration laws (Title 8), and 23 Salvadoran MS-13 gang members, including two “top leaders.”
The operation relied on an agreement with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who agreed to imprison the deportees in exchange for a reported $6 million fee from the U.S. government, as noted by TIME.
El Salvador’s leader, a Trump ally known for his hardline anti-gang policies, wasted no time showcasing the arrivals. Bukele posted a video on X, gleefully captioned “Oopsie… Too late,” showing handcuffed men being unloaded from a Global Crossing Airlines plane in San Salvador under heavy guard.
BBC and NBC reports confirmed the plane, identified by tail number N837VA, had departed from Harlingen, Texas, earlier that day, landing late Saturday night. The deportees were marched directly into CECOT, a facility infamous for its brutal conditions and lack of visitation or recreation rights, amplifying concerns from human rights groups like Amnesty International, as cited by Yahoo News.
The Court Ruling: A Judicial Roadblock Ignored?
The deportations occurred against the backdrop of a legal challenge. On Saturday evening, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a temporary order blocking the use of the Alien Enemies Act for these expulsions, arguing that its application to a criminal gang—rather than a hostile nation during wartime—required further scrutiny.
CNN reported that Boasberg explicitly instructed that any planes already airborne should return to the U.S., a directive echoed by sources in ABC News. However, at least one flight continued to El Salvador, landing after the ruling was issued at 7:26 p.m. Eastern Time, raising questions about compliance.
The White House, through Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, denied defying the court, asserting to Fox News that the deportees had left U.S. airspace before the order was formalized.
Yet, as The New York Times pointed out, the time zone difference (El Salvador is two hours behind Eastern Time) and Bukele’s nighttime footage suggested a tighter timeline, fueling speculation of deliberate defiance. NBC News noted the Justice Department’s Sunday filing, which claimed “some gang members” were removed before the order but offered no clarity on whether all deportees had landed prior to the ruling.
The ACLU, per NBC, demanded assurances that no violations occurred, underscoring the legal ambiguity.
Political Reactions: Triumph or Overreach?
The Trump administration framed the deportations as a victory for public safety. On Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Leavitt hailed the removal of “nearly 300” alleged gang members, calling them “terrorists” who belonged behind bars rather than “roaming freely in American communities.”
President Trump echoed this on Truth Social, thanking Bukele for his cooperation and lambasting “incompetent Democrat leadership” for allowing such “monsters” into the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a statement reported by DW, praised Bukele’s “pivotal role” in the transfer, emphasizing the expulsion of “hundreds of violent criminals.”
Critics, however, saw a dangerous precedent. CNN’s analysis warned that the episode pushed the administration “closer to the edge of a constitutional crisis,” with the White House’s denial of noncompliance failing to quell concerns about judicial disrespect.
The Guardian highlighted the ACLU’s argument that the Alien Enemies Act, previously used to intern Japanese Americans during World War II, was misapplied here, lacking evidence tying all deportees to gang activity.
Senator Mike Rounds, speaking on CNN, questioned whether the flights ignored Boasberg’s order, promising further investigation. Meanwhile, Amnesty International, via Yahoo News, decried the move as “racist targeting” of Venezuelans based on unverified claims.
The Human Cost: Families and Uncertainty
The deportations left Venezuelan families in anguish, unsure if their loved ones were among those sent to CECOT. The New York Times reported panic among relatives, many of whom disputed the gang affiliations alleged by the administration. One relative told the outlet that her deported brother had no criminal record, suggesting a broader sweep that may have ensnared innocents. Neither the U.S. nor El Salvador provided detailed identities or evidence of the deportees’ alleged crimes, as noted by CBC News and Reuters, deepening the opacity.
El Salvador’s mega-prison, showcased in Bukele’s footage, intensified fears. TIME described CECOT as a cornerstone of Bukele’s anti-crime strategy, housing inmates in crowded, inhumane conditions with no access to education or family contact. Al Jazeera reported human rights groups’ warnings that such transfers could violate international law prohibiting deportations to places of persecution. The Trump administration’s lack of transparency—failing to confirm gang membership or prior U.S. court proceedings—left open the possibility, as CNN suggested, that undocumented migrants without gang ties were caught in the purge.
Bukele’s Role: A Partner in Controversy
Nayib Bukele emerged as a central figure, reveling in his role as Trump’s partner. His mocking “Oopsie… Too late” post, reported by Reuters and The New York Times, taunted the U.S. judiciary while signaling his willingness to accept foreign deportees—a policy he proposed in February 2025, per Rolling Stone. Bukele’s deal with the U.S., brokered during a prior meeting with Rubio, positioned El Salvador as a dumping ground for alleged criminals, a move dividing Salvadorans, according to Al Jazeera. While popular for his gang crackdowns, critics feared it could destabilize the country’s fragile progress against violence.
Fox News reported Trump’s gratitude, with the president promising on social media, “We will not forget” Bukele’s support. The $6 million payment, detailed by TIME, underscored the transactional nature of the arrangement, though Bukele’s relish for the spotlight—evident in his dramatic X posts—suggested a personal stake in the spectacle.
Legal and Constitutional Implications
The episode thrust the Alien Enemies Act into the spotlight, a law NBC predicted could reach the Supreme Court. Historically invoked during major wars, its use against a gang sparked debate over executive power. The Justice Department, per CBC News, appealed Boasberg’s ruling, arguing the deportations were lawful under alternative immigration provisions if not the Act itself. Yet, as Rolling Stone noted, the court’s verbal order to turn planes around—absent from the written ruling—complicated the administration’s defense.
Legal experts weighed in variably. Georgetown’s David Super, quoted by The New York Times, called it “contempt of court,” while the administration insisted it acted within bounds, per Leavitt’s Fox News remarks. The Guardian emphasized the Act’s potential, if upheld, to enable mass deportations without hearings, a chilling prospect for civil liberties advocates.
Broader Context: Immigration in Trump’s Second Term
This deportation saga reflects Trump’s aggressive immigration stance in his second term, begun in January 2025. Building on campaign promises, he has escalated rhetoric against migrant “monsters,” as seen in his Truth Social post cited by Forbes. The Tren de Aragua gang, though a real U.S. presence, has been exaggerated by Republicans—Trump once falsely claimed it overran Aurora, Colorado—casting doubt on the administration’s designations, per Forbes and Rolling Stone.
The collaboration with Bukele signals a strategy of outsourcing detention, potentially sidestepping domestic legal constraints. As Miami Herald noted, the administration’s defiance—or perceived defiance—tests the judiciary’s ability to check executive power, a tension likely to define Trump’s tenure.
Conclusion: A Nation Divided, a World Watching
The Trump administration’s deportation of alleged gang members to El Salvador, despite a court ruling, encapsulates a volatile mix of policy, politics, and principle. Celebrated by supporters as decisive action, it’s decried by detractors as lawless overreach. With the legal battle ongoing and families left in limbo, the episode underscores deep divisions over immigration, authority, and justice in America. As Bukele’s prison fills and Trump doubles down, the world watches a drama that may reshape the boundaries of power—and the fate of those caught in its crosshairs.
