President Donald Trump's administration proceeded with deportation flights over the weekend despite a federal court order halting the removals, escalating a legal standoff that may define the scope of presidential deportation powers. Border czar Tom Homan defended the decision Monday, declaring, "I don't care what the judges think."
The controversy centers on the administration's decision to deport alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a rarely used wartime statute invoked Saturday through executive order. Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of the D.C. Circuit issued a temporary restraining order blocking the deportation of five Venezuelans and instructing authorities to return their flight to the U.S.
Homan, in an appearance on Fox News, dismissed the judge's ruling. "We are going to make this country safe again ... I'm proud to be a part of this administration. We are not stopping. I don't care what the judges think. I don't care what the Left thinks. We're coming," he said, adding, "Another flight. Another flight every day."
The flights reportedly continued after the court order, with Homan asserting that the plane in question was already over international waters when the ruling was handed down. "What a beautiful thing to see," Homan said of the plane landing in El Salvador, calling Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act a "game-changer."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the administration's actions, stating the judge's order had "no lawful basis" and was issued "after terrorist TdA aliens had already been removed from U.S. territory."
Judge Boasberg's order blocked deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, which allows the executive branch to detain and expel immigrants from enemy nations during times of conflict without standard due process protections. The law has been used sparingly in U.S. history, most notably during World War II to justify internment and deportation policies.
The administration has not disclosed how many individuals were deported specifically under the 18th-century law versus other immigration statutes, nor has it clarified the process used to identify whether all deportees were connected to Tren de Aragua.
Homan challenged the judge's reasoning, telling Fox News, "Who in their right mind, whether you're a judge or not, wants [to allow] TDA, a recognized terrorist organization sent here by the Maduro regime, to create havoc, to unsettle the United States through the use of fentanyl to kill thousands of Americans, violence to American citizens, raping and murdering young women in this country?"
He also linked the administration's actions to campaign promises, asserting, "The actions of President Trump made this country safer... that's what American voters voted for. That's our mandate, and the president is keeping his promise."
