Overview

• The Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport over 200 alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, citing national security threats.
• The deportations proceeded despite a federal judge's order to halt them, with the administration arguing the flights were already in transit.
• The detainees are now held in a high-security Salvadoran prison under a controversial U.S.-El Salvador agreement criticized for inhumane conditions.
• Human rights organizations and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro have condemned the actions, with Maduro formally protesting at the United Nations.
• The administration is seeking the removal of Judge James Boasberg, who blocked the deportations, highlighting tensions over judicial independence and executive power.