Mass Deportations: Judge Boasberg Accuses Trump of Circumventing U.S. Justice System
April 3, 2025 Hour: 6:20 pm
Federal Judge Boasberg slams Trump for deporting 238 Venezuelans under the Alien Enemies Act hours before a court block. ICE prepared secret flights, sparking a legal fight over due process and executive overreach.
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Federal Judge James Boasberg, who blocked deportations without due process under the Alien Enemies Act, accused former President Donald Trump of leading a deliberate scheme to bypass U.S. judicial oversight.
On Thursday, Judge Boasberg stated that the Trump administration acted in “bad faith” by deporting over 238 Venezuelan migrants under the controversial 1798 Alien Enemies Act just hours before his order halting the expulsions was made public.
During a tense hearing in Washington’s District Court, Boasberg challenged the legality of the Trump administration’s actions, noting that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had prepared the summary deportations even before the authorizing executive proclamation was announced.
“If they truly believed everything was legal, they wouldn’t have operated this way,” the judge asserted, referencing Trump’s secret signing of the order on March 14 and its delayed publication on March 15—by which time deportation flights were already en route.
The hearing focused on whether the Trump administration violated Boasberg’s March 15 order, which temporarily suspended deportations of alleged members of the disbanded Tren de Aragua gang. Despite the ruling, two planes carrying deportees landed in El Salvador, where Venezuelans remain detained in the Counterterrorism Detention Center (CECOT).
The Department of Justice (DOJ), represented by attorney Drew Ensign, maintained there was no contempt of court, arguing the flights had left U.S. airspace before the judge’s ruling. However, Boasberg secured a key admission from the DOJ: his order did not prohibit deportations through regular immigration proceedings or require the release of gang members—contradicting earlier claims by Trump officials.
The case has reignited debates over judicial deference. Trump once called for Boasberg’s impeachment, prompting an unusual rebuke from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who emphasized that appeals—not political retaliation—are the proper way to challenge rulings.
Human rights groups and lawyers for the deportees allege many were wrongly labeled as gang members simply for having family tattoos or soccer jerseys, denied legal recourse, and, in most cases, had no criminal records.
The Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act—last used during WWII against Japanese and German nationals—which permits deportations without hearings.
For now, Boasberg has extended the deportation suspension for two more weeks while considering a permanent injunction. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn the block.
Autor: MLM
Fuente: teleSUR - Agencias - @kyledcheney