Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2025. 1:14 pm CST.
By Horace Palacio: The Trump administration has invoked an 18th-century wartime law to deport hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador and Honduras, even as a federal judge attempted to block the transfers.
Flights carrying immigrants were already in the air when U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg issued his order halting the deportations. While Boasberg verbally instructed that the planes should be turned around, the directive was not included in his final written ruling, allowing the deportations to proceed.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who had previously agreed to house 300 immigrants for a $6 million fee, reacted to the ruling with a dismissive post on social media, writing, “Oopsie… Too late.” The comment was later shared by the White House communications director, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the move, stating that the U.S. was deporting over 250 alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang to El Salvador, where they would be held in high-security prisons.
Legal experts warn that the Trump administration’s actions set a dangerous precedent. Steve Vladeck, a law professor at Georgetown University, said the government had clearly disregarded the judge’s intent, even if it did not technically violate his written ruling.
“This just incentivizes future courts to be hyper-specific in their orders and not give the government any wiggle room,” Vladeck stated.
The deportations were carried out under Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a rarely invoked law that gives the president sweeping powers over foreign nationals during wartime. The act, last used to detain Japanese-Americans during World War II, allows for the detention or removal of foreign nationals deemed a potential threat.
With legal challenges looming, immigration advocates argue that Trump is weaponizing a historical wartime measure to justify mass deportations, raising concerns about the future of U.S. immigration policy under emergency declarations.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Belize ~ We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages. Your content is delivered instantly to thousands of users in Belize and abroad! Contact us at mаrkеtіng@brеаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-612-0315.
© 2025, BreakingBelizeNews.com. Content is copyrighted and requires written permission for reprinting in online or print media. Theft of content without permission/payment is punishable by law.
The post U.S. sends immigrants to El Salvador and Honduras under 18th-century wartime law appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
The Trump administration has invoked an 18th-century wartime law to deport hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador and Honduras, even as a federal judge attempted to block the transfers.
The post U.S. sends immigrants to El Salvador and Honduras under 18th-century wartime law appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
