Washington DC [US], March 18 : The White House on Monday (local time) expressed confidence in winning the court battle over the deportation of Venezuelan gang members from Tren de Aragua to El Salvador, despite a court order against it. The administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act to justify the deportations.
Addressing a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Donald Trump's administration acted within the confines of the law and remains confident of securing victory 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 the deportations for 14 days, questioning the administration's authority to invoke the act. He also ordered any planes carrying deportees to return to the US.
Despite the ruling, the 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, U.S. 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, with the case potentially heading to the Supreme Court on a fast track.
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