Unraveling the minute-by-minute drama of contentious deportation flights and a judge's desperate bid to halt them

Unraveling the minute-by-minute drama of contentious deportation flights and a judge's desperate bid to halt them

Here's the Freakin' Scoop:

Over the weekend, the Trump administration took a wild move, using wartime powers to ship off alleged members of a Venezuelan gang from the States, specifically to El Salvador. But a court battle's brewin', and things got messy real quick. Let's break it down:

Timeline of Events:

1. Morning Time (All times Eastern)
2. Judge James Boasberg steps in, issuing a temporary block on thegovernment from deporting five individuals who took the Trump administration to court over Prez Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act.
3. Late Afternoon
4. Judge's hearing begins, adjourns for a break, then resumes.
5. Late Afternoon to Evening
6. While the court's in session, GlobalX Flight 6143 and 6145, carrying passengers for deportation, haul ass out of Harlingen, Texas, according to FlightRadar24 data. GlobalX Flight 6122 takes off later in the evening.
7. Evening During the Court Proceedings
8. The judge tells Justice Department lawyers to put the brakes on any planes carrying people being deported under the Alien Enemies Act, according to court defendants' filings. He says it needs to be done "immediately."
9. Late Evening
10. The judge pens a written order saying the government's forbidden from removing non-citizens in U.S. custody who fall under Trump's proclamation about the Alien Enemies Act.
11. Late Evening to Night
12. Three flights arrive in their destinations despite the judge's orders. The first flight, GlobalX 6143, lands in Comayagua, Honduras. The third flight, GlobalX 6122, touches down in San Salvador, El Salvador, while the second flight, GlobalX 6145, finishes its journey in Tegucigalpa, Honduras (initially misreported as San Salvador), then heads to San Salvador, El Salvador.
13. Night
14. The second flight from Tegucigalpa heads back to San Salvador, finishing its journey.
15. Next Day
16. The Justice Department throws in the towel, acknowledging the judge's rulings but also hinting that some deportations had already gone down before the written order was even issued.

Background Watch:

Experts are saying the Alien Enemies Act, which allows the president to toss out non-citizens from a "hostile nation or government" during times of war or invasions, might not cut it here. The U.S. ain't at war with Venezuela, and Tren de Aragua, the gang in question, doesn't pass as a foreign nation or government.

The Nitty-Gritty:

• Trump's Proclamation: Prez Trump signs a proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act to deport Tren de Aragua members, claiming they're invading the U.S.
• ACLU and Democracy Forward Lawsuit: Early on the 15th, the ACLU and Democracy Forward file a lawsuit against the administration, challenging the legality of the action.
• Federal Judge's Order: Judge James Boasberg steps in, issuing a temporary restraining order, then expands it to include all non-citizens in U.S. custody covered by Trump's proclamation.
• Defiance to Court Order: The Trump administration pushes on with deportations, arguing that some deportations happened before the written order came through, but data and court docs suggest they may have disregarded the judge's orders.
• Ongoing Legal Battle: The Justice Department files an appeal, and the case rumbles on in the courts with both sides arguing their points. The Trump administration claims they didn't violate the court order, while critics holler that the use of the Alien Enemies Act is against the law and skips due process.

1. The Trump administration's deportation of alleged members of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, was temporarily halted by Judge James Boasberg, invoking his power to issue a temporary block on the government's actions.
2. During the court proceedings, Judge Boasberg's order was adjourned, and while the court was still in session, three GlobalX flights carrying passengers for deportation took off, circumventing the judge's instructions to put the brakes on any planes carrying people being deported under the Alien Enemies Act.
3. In the transcript of the court proceedings, the Justice Department's defiance to Judge Boasberg's orders was invoked, with the Trump administration arguing that some deportations had occurred before the written order was issued, potentially disregarding the judge's injunctions.

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