Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act on Saturday via executive order
The Trump administration deported hundreds of alleged members of a Venezuelan gang to El Salvador, invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, despite a federal judge issuing a temporary restraining order blocking deportations under the act. The administration claimed the gang posed a threat and cited an "invasion." Democrats condemned the deportations, arguing the act requires a declaration of war. The U.S. also sent MS-13 gang leaders and Salvadorans to El Salvador. A judge had preemptively blocked the removal of five Venezuelans identified in a lawsuit, but flights still departed.
