The United States deported hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members from the criminal group Tren de Aragua to El Salvador on Sunday after former President Donald Trump invoked the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act to expedite their removal, CNN reported.
The deportation took place just before a federal judge halted the Trump administration’s ability to use the act, issuing a 14-day restraining order and directing any planes in the air carrying deportees to return to the U.S. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg stated the order would remain in effect for 14 days or until further notice.
“Any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States,” Boasberg ruled, after confirming that deportation flights had already taken off when the ruling was made.
Following the deportation, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the U.S. had successfully expelled hundreds of violent criminals from the country. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later announced that nearly 300 members of Tren de Aragua had been arrested and deported over the weekend.
The White House has designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, stating in a presidential proclamation that its members have “unlawfully infiltrated the United States and are conducting irregular warfare and hostile actions.”
Meanwhile, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele agreed to imprison the deported gang members in exchange for the return of two MS-13 leaders and 21 other Salvadorans wanted for crimes in El Salvador.
The U.S. will also pay $6 million to El Salvador to house the deportees, with Bukele stating the funds will help sustain the country’s prison system, which costs $200 million annually. He also emphasized that holding the Venezuelan gang members could help law enforcement track and apprehend MS-13 members.
Rubio thanked Bukele on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “We sent two dangerous top MS-13 leaders plus 21 of its most wanted back to face justice in El Salvador. Also, as promised by @POTUS, we sent over 250 alien enemy members of Tren de Aragua, which El Salvador has agreed to hold in their very good jails at a fair price that will also save our taxpayer dollars.”
The controversial move has sparked legal battles, with critics arguing that the **Alien Enemies Act—originally enacted in 1798—**is being misused to justify mass deportations. With the court’s restraining order in place, it remains unclear whether the deported individuals already en route will be allowed to remain in El Salvador or face a forced return to the U.S.
