White House denies defying judge's order over deportations to El Salvador

The White House has denied an accusation from rights groups that it flouted owed process by defying a judge's bid portion carrying retired deportations astatine the weekend.

A radical of 238 alleged Venezuelan pack members, positive 23 alleged members of the planetary MS-13 gang, were sent from the US to a situation successful El Salvador. Some were removed from the state nether a instrumentality not invoked since World War Two.

The determination came contempt a impermanent artifact issued by a judge. The White House said the judge's bid itself was not lawful and was issued aft the radical was deported.

Neither the US authorities nor El Salvador has identified the detainees, oregon provided details of their alleged criminality oregon pack membership.

Announcing the determination connected Saturday, the time aft helium signed it, Trump accused the pack Tren de Aragua (TdA) of "perpetrating, attempting, and threatening an penetration oregon predatory incursion against the territory of the United States".

He cited the Alien Enemies Act - a portion of authorities that dates to 1798, which was designed to let non-citizens to beryllium deported successful times of warfare oregon invasion. Campaigners person questioned Trump's justification.

The enactment was utilized to process 137 of the full of 261 radical who were deported, a elder medication authoritative told CBS News, the BBC's US partner.

The ground connected which the different deportees were removed from the US remains unclear, and details of the radical arsenic a full person not been disclosed.

Several relatives of men believed to beryllium among the radical told the New York Times that their loved ones did not person pack ties.

The lawsuit raises law questions since, nether the US strategy of checks and balances, authorities agencies are expected to comply with a national judge's ruling.

A proceeding to ascertain much accusation astir the Trump administration's usage of the Alien Enemies Act is scheduled for 16:00 EDT (20:00 GMT) connected Monday.

The bid to halt the deportations came from US District Judge James Boasberg connected Saturday evening, who demanded a 14-day intermission pending further ineligible arguments.

After lawyers told him that planes with deportees had already taken off, the justice reportedly gave a verbal bid for the flights to crook back, though that directive did not signifier portion of his written ruling.

White House property caput Karoline Leavitt denied the tribunal ruling had been broken.

"The medication did not 'refuse to comply' with a tribunal order," she said. "The order, which had nary lawful basis, was issued aft violent TdA [Tren de Aragua] aliens had already been removed from US territory."

The justness section echoed Leavitt, saying the deportees had already near earlier the judge's ruling - which it has appealed against.

But a timeline of events reported by US media suggests the Trump medication appears to person had the accidental to halt astatine slightest immoderate of the deportations.

• 17:25 EDT: A archetypal formation believed to beryllium carrying deportees leaves Texas, according to information from tracking tract Flightradar24. Takeoff happens portion a proceeding held by Judge Boasberg is paused. Earlier that afternoon, the White House said Trump was invoking the Alien Enemies Act
• 17:44 EDT: A 2nd formation believed to beryllium carrying deportees leaves Texas, according to Flightradar24
• 18:05 EDT: Boasberg's proceeding resumes and the authorities declines to accidental if deportations are ongoing, according to ABC News
• 18:46 EDT: Boasberg orders the authorities to crook astir the 2 planes if they are carrying non-citizens, according to ABC
• 19:26 EDT: Boasberg issues his written bid for a impermanent restraining order, according to ABC
• 19:36 EDT: A 3rd formation believed to beryllium carrying deportees leaves Texas, according to Flightradar24

Trump's borderline tsar, Tom Homan, told reporters astatine the White House connected Monday that Trump did "exactly the close thing".

"The level was already implicit planetary waters with a level afloat of terrorists and important nationalist information threats," helium said. "We removed terrorists. That should beryllium celebrated successful this country."

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele confirmed the accomplishment of deportees. "Oopsie... Too late," helium said of the judge's order, penning connected societal media. His squad besides published footage of immoderate of the men wrong 1 of its mega-jails.

Rights groups accused Trump of utilizing a 227-year-old instrumentality to circumvent owed process.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) questioned Trump's usage of a sweeping wartime authorization which allows fast-track deportations. "I deliberation we're successful precise unsafe territory present successful the United States with the invocation of this law," said Lee Gelernt from the organisation.

The Alien Enemies Act lone allowed deportations erstwhile the US was successful a declared warfare with that overseas government, oregon was being invaded, Mr Gelernt said. "A pack is not invading," helium told BBC News.

The enactment was past utilized during World War Two to intern Japanese-American civilians.

Making matters worse was the information "the medication is saying cipher tin reappraisal what they're doing", Mr Gelernt added.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International USA said the deportations were "yet different illustration of the Trump administration's racist targeting" of Venezuelans "based connected sweeping claims of pack affiliation".

Venezuela itself criticised Trump, saying helium "unjustly criminalises Venezuelan migration".

The latest deportations nether Trump's 2nd word are portion of the president's long-running run against amerciable immigration.

The US president has besides moved to fortify ties with El Salvador.

The 2 gangs targeted with the play deportations were declared "foreign violent organisations" by Trump aft returning to the White House successful January.