Trump officials justify use of wartime law in deporting Venezuelan migrants

U.S. officials defended their decision to deploy extraordinary wartime powers to deport 137 Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador last weekend, despite a federal judge’s temporary block and Venezuelan authorities denying that the individuals were affiliated with criminal gangs.

Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on "Sunday Morning Futures," “It's modern-day warfare, and we are going to continue to fight that and protect American citizens every single step of the way.” Bondi maintained that the deportations were warranted because the migrants were allegedly members of Venezuela’s feared Tren de Aragua gang and posed a safety risk by engaging in violent criminal activities and transferring funds back to Venezuela.

However, Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello countered the claim on Friday, asserting that none of the deported individuals were gang members. Relatives of the deportees and immigration advocates have similarly denied any links to the group, which Washington has designated as a terrorist organization.

The Trump administration justified its actions by invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law, arguing that the migrants’ conduct merited the use of such measures. White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," asserted without presenting direct evidence that Tren de Aragua is operating as a proxy for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. “The alien sedition act fully applies because we have also determined that this group is acting as a proxy of the Maduro regime,” Waltz said, adding that Maduro is allegedly emptying his prisons in a proxy manner to incite actions against the United States.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who has temporarily blocked the use of the law for these deportations, said on Friday that he would continue to examine whether the administration’s actions violated his order. The Trump administration now faces a March 25 deadline to respond to the judge’s request for further details on the deportations, following the administration’s failure to process two flights carrying the Venezuelans as ordered.

Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, told ABC News’ "This Week" that while he would not defy Judge Boasberg's order, the administration would persist in targeting migrants it deems dangerous. “We're going to continue to arrest public safety threats and national security threats,” Homan stated, emphasizing that the focus remains on apprehending “the worst of the worst.”

Bondi also lashed out against Judge Boasberg for what she described as overreach into the administration's foreign policy. “This is an out-of-control judge, a federal judge trying to control our entire foreign policy,” she said. Bondi further accused other federal judges of obstructing the president’s policies and called for their recusal from related cases.

Legal scholars warn that the dispute may signal an escalation in President Donald Trump’s confrontation with the judiciary, potentially setting the stage for a broader constitutional crisis. As the legal and political battles unfold, both sides remain entrenched, with the administration steadfast in its approach to using wartime powers to safeguard American security.

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