Senior Trump administration officials scrambled on Saturday to get two planes carrying 250 Tren de Aragua gang members out of the U.S. before a federal judge’s ruling could halt deportation efforts, according to an Axios report.
After Judge James Boasberg’s decision to block all deportations under Trump’s invocation of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act was leaked earlier that morning, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem worked quickly to ensure the flights took off before the ruling was formally issued that night.
- “We wanted them on the ground first, before a judge could get the case,” a senior White House official said.
- By the time the ruling was handed down, both flights were already in international airspace en route to El Salvador and Honduras.
- Boasberg ordered the planes to return to the U.S., but Trump officials allowed the deportations to proceed.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele confirmed the arrival of 238 gang members, stating they were transferred to a terrorism confinement center.
The administration argues the ruling does not apply since the flights were already outside U.S. airspace, with officials confident that legal challenges will head to the Supreme Court—where they expect to win.
Sources
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
