Washington DC [US], March 18 : The White House on Monday dismissed a French politician's call to return the Statue of Liberty, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating, "It is only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now."
"Not, and my advice to that unnamed low-level French politician would be to remind them that it is only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now. They should be very grateful to our great country," Leavitt said.
Meanwhile, on the ongoing conflict between the White House and US judiciary over the deportation of Venezuelan gang members from Tren de Aragua to El Salvador by invoking the Aliens Enemies Act, Leavitt said, "We are wholly confident that we are going to win this case in court."
"This Administration acted within the confines of the law again within the president's constitutional authority and under the authority granted to him under the Alien Enemies Act. We are wholly confident that we are going to win this case in court." Leavitt said.
On Sunday, the US deported hundreds of Venezuelan gang members after Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which grants the government emergency war powers.
However, US District Judge James Boasberg verbally ordered the administration to temporarily halt deportations for 14 days, questioning the government's authority to use the act. He also directed that any planes in the air carrying deportees be returned to the US.
Despite this, flights continued to their destination in El Salvador, with the White House arguing that the planes had already left US territory before the judge's written order was issued.
"All of the planes subject to the written order of this judge departed U.S. soil, US territory before the judge's written order," Karoline Leavitt said.
"There are questions over whether a verbal order carries the same weight...as a written order, and our lawyers are determined to ask and answer those questions in court," she added.
According to The Hill, Judge Boasberg has scheduled a hearing for Monday evening (local time) to determine whether the administration defied his order.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has appealed Boasberg's ruling, and the case could be on a fast track to the Supreme Court.
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