Trump Administration Pulls Fast One on Activist Judge Who Tried to Block Criminal Alien Deportations

"Oopsie… Too late."

In a high-stakes battle over immigration enforcement, the Trump administration has forcefully defended its use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport hundreds of alleged gang members, defying a last-minute court order from a federal judge.”

This confrontation highlights a deeper question: should unelected judges have the power to block executive actions designed to protect American communities from violent criminals?

"It's the showdown that was always going to happen between the two branches of government," a senior White House official remarked. "And it seemed that this was pretty clean. You have Venezuelan gang members ... These are bad guys, as the president would say."

On Saturday, President Trump had signed an executive order declaring members of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang as threats to national security, invoking the rarely used Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The administration acted swiftly, coordinating flights to deport over 250 suspected gang members before judicial intervention could stall the operation.

However, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg—an Obama appointee—issued a restraining order that evening, instructing all planes carrying the deportees to return to the United States.

“Any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States however that is accomplished,” Boasberg directed at about 6:45 p.m. Saturday. “Make sure it’s complied with immediately.”