Trump administration continues to deport immigrants despite court orders

The move comes shortly after a federal judge ordered a temporary halt to the law, halting deportation flights and returning affected people to the US.

Judge James Boasberg issued an emergency restraining order on the evening of March 15 (local time), ruling that the order will be in effect for 14 days and until further notice. He stressed that deportations cannot be carried out without due process. However, the White House has insisted that the court order was issued after the individuals had left the country, so the administration did not violate the judge's decision.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted the administration followed due process, stressing that the court ruling had no legal basis. She said the deportees had left the country before the court issued the order, so there was no conflict between the administration's actions and the judge's decision.

The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed that nearly 300 members of the Tren de Aragua gang were arrested and deported over the weekend. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that hundreds of individuals accused of being involved with the gang had been removed from the US and thanked El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for accepting them.

President Bukele confirmed that El Salvador had received the deportees and transferred them to the Terrorist Detention Center (CECOT), where they will be held for a year. Images released by the Salvadoran government showed the deportees handcuffed and with shaved heads as they got off the bus.

According to CNN, since 2024, Mr. Erik Prince - a close associate of President Trump - has contacted the administration of President Nayib Bukele to propose accepting undocumented migrants from the US in case Mr. Trump is re-elected. According to the agreement, the US will spend $ 6 million to support El Salvador in deporting deportees. Mr. Bukele said this money will help maintain the prison system, and support law enforcement in gathering intelligence and hunting down more criminal gang members.

Legal experts say Judge Boasberg’s verbal order has the same legal force as a written order, and the Trump administration could be in violation if it proceeds with the deportation plan. Some observers warn that the case could spark a serious legal dispute, raising questions about how the U.S. government enforces immigration policy and deals with cross-border criminal organizations.

In Washington, the political backlash to the case continued to mount. Republican Senator Mike Rounds expressed support for the administration’s aggressive approach, while House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries warned of the potential for human rights violations in the deportation policy. He stressed that Democrats oppose illegal immigration but cannot accept mass deportations without due process.

In El Salvador, the CECOT prison, which houses the deportees, is the largest detention facility in the Americas, with a capacity of 40,000 people. It was built to tackle organized crime, but has also been controversial due to its harsh conditions.

Despite reactions from many sides, the Trump administration affirmed that it will continue to implement strong measures to control immigration and deal with cross-border crimes.