White House Rebuffs Allegations Over Mass Deportations to El Salvador

The White House has denied accusations from human rights groups of disregarding a judge's order during a mass deportation operation involving alleged gang members from the U.S. to El Salvador. The government maintains that the judge's ruling was issued post-deportation and asserts its actions were lawful, despite raising constitutional concerns about due process.

The White House has firmly rejected claims made by human rights organizations that it contravened a judge's order during a significant deportation operation this past weekend. The deportation involved 238 alleged Venezuelan gang members, alongside 23 individuals from the notorious MS-13 gang, transported from the United States to a prison in El Salvador. Notably, some of these individuals were deported under a seldom-used law from World War Two.

A temporary injunction halting the deportations had been issued by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg shortly before the mass removal occurred. However, the White House contends that the judge's order lacked legal standing and was communicated after the deportations were already executed. Neither the U.S. nor the Salvadoran governments have disclosed the identities of the deported individuals, nor provided clear evidence of their criminal affiliations.

During the announcement of the deportations, former President Trump labeled the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang as a threat to U.S. territory, invoking legislation from 1798 aimed at expediting the removal of non-citizens during perceived periods of war. A high-ranking administration official noted that 137 of the total 261 deportees were processed under the Alien Enemies Act, although the reasons for the deportation of the remaining individuals remain unclear.

Following the judge's order for a 14-day pause pending legal discussions, it was reported that planes carrying deportees had already departed, which strained the communication of the halt directive effectively. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the administration did not disregard the ruling, asserting that deportations were completed before the order was issued.

Legal experts and rights advocates have raised concerns regarding the constitutional implications of the administration’s actions, with questions arising about compliance with federal court orders. Rights organizations, such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), have criticized the expedited deportations, framing it as dangerous misuse of power related to immigration and due process rights.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele confirmed the arrival of the deportees and mockingly acknowledged the judge's order on social media, sharing footage of some detainees in the country’s mega-jails. Critics, including Amnesty International USA, have condemned the deportations as racially targeted actions against Venezuelans based on broad gang association claims. In a statement, the Venezuelan government denounced the U.S. for unjustly categorizing its citizens as criminals, underscoring the heightened tensions regarding immigration policies under the Trump administration's second term.