Trump administration refuses to comply with court order to disclose deportation details
US deports over 250 alleged gang members to El Salvador's mega-prison (Photo: Getty Images)
The US Department of Justice has refused to provide a federal judge with information about deportation flights carried out over the past weekend under the Alien Enemies Act, AP News reports.
The administration of Donald Trump has refused to disclose details about the deportation flights, arguing that the court is overstepping its authority. Federal Judge James Boasberg ordered the government to provide explanations by Wednesday, but the DOJ requested a suspension of this order.
"Continuing to beat a dead horse solely for the sake of prying from the Government legally immaterial facts and wholly within a sphere of core functions of the Executive Branch is both purposeless and distracting from the real legal issues at stake," the DOJ stated.
Initially, the judge demanded a response by Tuesday but later agreed to accept it in a sealed filing. However, the administration insists that the court should wait for an appellate decision.
White House argues the court lacks jurisdiction
The standoff began after Boasberg blocked deportations under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. Last weekend, the judge ordered planes carrying deportees to turn around, but by then, some flights had already landed in El Salvador, raising concerns about whether the administration had defied the ruling.
The DOJ asserts that the court’s order has no legal force, as "the presidential actions they challenge are not subject to judicial review." The government also maintains that it did not violate the ruling since the flights had already left US airspace before the order took effect.
The administration refuses to disclose further details, citing "national security and foreign relations." The DOJ also accuses the court of focusing too much on "minor details concerning the movement of airplanes" at the expense of more significant legal issues.
The conflict deepens the standoff between the court and the White House, after the Trump administration ignored Boasberg’s ruling and deported hundreds of migrants despite the court's order.
