Trump Administration Ignores Court Order Over Deportation Flights, Citing International Water
In a move that has ignited fierce debate over executive authority and judicial limits, the Trump administration defied a Saturday court order to turn around two planeloads of alleged Venezuelan gang members en route to El Salvador. Senior officials told Axios that the flights, already over international waters, fell outside the judge’s jurisdiction.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg had issued a ruling halting the deportations after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a suit. The order, intended to require mid-air turnarounds, came after the president signed an executive order invoking the rarely used Alien Enemies Act of 1789—a wartime law that permits the expedited deportation of noncitizens without judicial hearings. Administration officials, however, maintain that by the time the order was issued, the aircraft had already crossed the Yucatan Peninsula, making it impossible to alter their course. “There was a discussion about how far the judge’s ruling can go over international waters and, on advice of counsel, we proceeded with deporting these individuals,” one senior official said.
White House spokespeople and senior advisors, including Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristy Noem, have stressed that the decision was not an intentional defiance of the court order but rather a consequence of timing. “We are not actively defying court orders,” a second official told Axios. Instead, they argue that Judge Boasberg overstepped his authority by attempting to block the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport approximately 250 alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later stated, “The Administration did not ‘refuse to comply’ with a court order. The order, which had no lawful basis, was issued after terrorist aliens had already been removed from U.S. territory.” Leavitt added that federal courts lack jurisdiction over the President’s conduct of foreign affairs and his Article II powers.
The controversy has taken on a broader political dimension. National security attorney Mark S. Zaid, a vocal critic of President Trump, warned on X that the incident could mark the start of a constitutional crisis and even lead to impeachment proceedings. Meanwhile, supporters within the administration argue that this episode is part of a larger showdown between the executive and judicial branches—a fight they believe will ultimately be resolved in favor of executive authority. The case is now expected to be reviewed by the Supreme Court. As the debate continues, Venezuelan officials in El Salvador, led by President Nayib Bukele, have already celebrated the arrival of the deportees, adding an international twist to a story that is likely to reshape debates over presidential power and the limits of judicial intervention in matters of national security.
