Deported in Secret: Trump defies court, revives wartime ‘alien enemies act’ to expel immigrants

"Thank you for your assistance and friendship, President Bukele," Rubio posted on X.

More than half of the 261 immigrants expelled to El Salvador on Saturday were removed from the United States under the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime powers statute, a White House official told The Washington Post on Sunday. This follows concerns that the Trump administration may have bypassed a court order halting the statute's use for expedited deportations.

President Donald Trump secretly signed a proclamation on Friday invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to fast-track the removal of Venezuelans aged 14 and over suspected of belonging to the Tren de Aragua gang, The Washington Post reported. As a result, 137 individuals were deported to El Salvador under this proclamation, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The remaining deportees included 23 Salvadorans linked to the MS-13 gang and 101 additional Venezuelans, who were expelled under separate federal laws, the official added.

On Saturday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued an order temporarily blocking the Trump administration from utilizing the Alien Enemies Act to remove immigrants without due process. The judge also directed officials to return any planes carrying affected individuals to the United States. His ruling came after advocates argued the administration's actions endangered deportees and violated their legal rights.

Despite the court ruling, the Trump administration released video footage on Sunday showing shackled immigrants being escorted off planes in El Salvador at night and into a newly constructed mega-prison.

"Oopsie, too late," Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding a laughing emoji. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reposted the comment, and a White House spokesperson followed with a meme that read, "Boom!"

OopsieToo late pic.twitter.com/nDHL6deLJq
Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) March 16, 2025

Bukele claimed his country received 238 suspected members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang and more than 20 alleged MS-13 gang members from the United States. He released a three-minute video showing heavily armed personnel in camouflage escorting the men off planes and onto buses headed to the prison. The prisoners had their heads shaved upon arrival. El Salvador also announced that the United States would cover the costs of their incarceration.

"Thank you for your assistance and friendship, President Bukele," Rubio posted on X.

Trump later shared the footage on social media, expressing gratitude to Bukele for his cooperation in addressing what he described as a "horrible situation."