The Trump admin faces a judicial showdown over Venezuelan deportations
Image: Bloomberg
The Executive and Judicial Branches are currently locked in a power struggle related to last weekendâs deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members by the Trump administration, which occurred despite a court order halting the move.
Catch up quick: On Saturday, President Trump invoked a little-used wartime law called the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to quickly deport hundreds of Venezuelan migrants who are alleged gang members. Trumpâs move was temporarily blocked hours later by District Judge James Boasberg, who ordered a two-week halt so he could consider arguments that the law was improperly invoked.
Boasberg also orally instructed the DOJâs lawyers to return any planes carrying alleged Venezuelan gang members for deportation that had already taken off.
- Two such planes, which were en route to El Salvador as the judge issued his order, didnât turn around.
- A third plane carrying alleged gang members to El Salvador took off from Texas minutes after the judgeâs order, and also didnât turn around.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Trump admin âdid not ârefuse to complyâ with a court orderâ â which she described as having âno lawful basisâ â since the judgeâs decision was issued after the planes had left US territory.
The conflict escalates further
In a social media post yesterday, Trump said âthis judge [Boasberg], like many of the Crooked Judgesâ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!â It marks the first time since taking office that Trump has asked Congress to seek a judgeâs removal, Politico reports.
Trumpâs comments prompted responses from the Legislative and Executive Branches:
- Six Republican House lawmakers sponsored a measure introducing articles of impeachment against Judge Boasberg, claiming he overstepped his authority.
- Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts issued a rare public statement saying the impeachment of federal judges is "not an appropriate response" to disagreeing with their rulings.
Looking aheadâŚThe legal battle over the Trump adminâs recent deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members is expected to reach the Supreme Court.
đ Flash poll: In your opinion, which phrase best describes the current dispute between the Executive and Judicial Branches?
See a 360° view of what pundits are saying â
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that itâs incredibly hypocritical how Republicans who would have gone nuclear if President Biden ignored a federal judgeâs orders have seemingly no issue with Trump doing the very same thing.
- Others contend that the routine misuse of the term âconstitutional crisisâ by politicians and judges across the aisle has made it more difficult to get the publicâs attention now that our democracy appears to be heading into one following Trumpâs recent moves.
- âTrump defies judge on deportations. We're on the cusp of a constitutional crisis.â âRex Huppke, USA Today
- âCalling everything a 'constitutional crisis' left us unprepared for the real thingâ âRyan Teague Beckwith, MSNBC
- âHow Far Gone Are We?â âJamelle Bouie, NY Times
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that while America wonât miss the Venezuelan gang members who the Trump administration deported, itâs still troubling to see U.S. officials appear to disdain the law in the name of upholding it.
- Others contend that Trump opponents who claim this is a constitutional crisis are politically biased and disingenuous, since they had no objections when Biden ignored the constitution and Congress in an attempt to forgive $400 billion in student loans.
- âTrump, Deportations and the Lawâ âWSJ Editorial Board
- âLiberal claim Trump's causing a constitutional crisis ignores a key realityâ âJohn Yoo, Robert J. Delahunty, Fox News
- âFederal judgesâ Trump hate is only harming the courts themselvesâ âGlenn H. Reynolds, NY Post
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