Trump Accused of Defying Court Order Amid Deportation of Alleged Venezuelan Gang Members to El Salvador’s Notorious Prison
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has faced allegations of disregarding a federal court order by proceeding with the deportation of over 200 individuals, reportedly affiliated with Venezuelan criminal organizations, to the high-security CECOT prison in El Salvador.
On March 15, U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg issued a temporary injunction to halt the deportation process. However, by the time the ruling was made, the flight carrying the detainees was already en route. Upon being notified of the judge’s decision, the Trump administration was instructed to recall the aircraft, yet the deportation was carried out as planned.
El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, appeared to mock the U.S. court ruling in a social media post, responding to reports of Trump ignoring the judicial directive with a brief comment: “Oopsie… Too late.”
White House Denies Wrongdoing Amid Legal and Diplomatic Backlash
Despite criticism, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt maintained that the Trump administration did not deliberately violate the court order. Meanwhile, a high-ranking official from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Robert Cerna, acknowledged in a legal filing that many of the individuals deported had no prior criminal convictions.
Cerna defended the deportation by arguing that the lack of detailed records on the individuals reinforced concerns about their potential threat. “The absence of specific information on each individual underscores the risks they pose,” he stated. “This confirms they are terrorists about whom we lack a complete profile.”
The deportations were executed under a controversial presidential order invoking an 18th-century wartime provision, enabling the expedited removal of alleged gang affiliates without conventional legal proceedings.
International Reaction and Venezuela’s Condemnation
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro strongly criticized the mass deportation, condemning what he described as the “unjust criminalization of Venezuelan youth.” On March 16, he accused the U.S. of labeling teenagers as terrorists and deporting them solely based on their nationality.
Bukele, however, defended the operation, emphasizing his commitment to combating organized crime. He confirmed on social media that 238 alleged members of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, had arrived in El Salvador and were immediately incarcerated at CECOT under a renewable one-year detention period.
“The United States will contribute a minimal fee for their detention, but the cost will be significant for us,” Bukele stated. He further asserted that the Zero Idleness program, which engages over 40,000 inmates in labor and workshops, is aimed at making El Salvador’s prison system self-sufficient, noting that the annual operational cost currently stands at $200 million.
This development has intensified debate over the legal and ethical implications of mass deportations, with concerns over human rights, international law, and U.S.-El Salvador diplomatic relations taking center stage.
