White House Declares Emergency Amid Migrant Deportation Controversy
A shocking video surfaced, showing hundreds of suspected migrant criminals arriving in Central America after being expelled from the U.S., prompting President Donald Trump to praise El Salvador’s leader.
Referencing the Alien Enemies Act of 1798—a law that permits the deportation of individuals from enemy nations without a hearing—Trump commended President Nayib Bukele on social media.
“Thank you to El Salvador and, in particular, President Bukele, for your understanding of this horrible situation, which was allowed to happen to the United States because of incompetent Democrat leadership. We will not forget,” Trump wrote.
“The monsters sent into our Country by Crooked Joe Biden and the Radical Left Democrats,” he added, referring to the arrested migrants.
According to a top Trump administration source who spoke with Fox News, an astounding 261 illegal immigrants were deported to El Salvador in the latest action. The breakdown included 101 Venezuelans expelled under Title 8, 21 Salvadoran MS-13 gang members, two high-ranking MS-13 figures classified as “special cases” for El Salvador, and 137 individuals deported under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
The criminal records of the deported individuals included serious offenses such as robbery, prostitution, aggravated assault, child sexual abuse, kidnapping, and assault on a police officer.
Additionally, a Trump administration official disclosed to Fox News that the deportation flights had already left U.S. airspace when a federal court intervened, issuing an order to recall them.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued an emergency order halting Trump’s deportation efforts, giving him additional time to determine whether his use of the Alien Enemies Act was lawful.
“We did not defy a court order. The order came too late, and illegals were already in international airspace,” the official stated, as initially reported by Axios.
“Had no lawful basis, was issued after terrorist [Tren de Aragua] aliens had already been removed from U.S. territory,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News, reinforcing the administration’s stance.
“The written order and the Administration’s actions do not conflict,” Leavitt continued. “A single judge in a single city cannot direct the movements of an aircraft carrier full of foreign alien terrorists who were physically expelled from U.S. soil.”
Upon arrival in El Salvador, the migrants were transferred to a “terrorism confinement center,” where they are set to remain for at least a year, according to a post by Bukele on X.
Chilling video footage showed heavily armed Salvadoran authorities escorting the detainees, forcing them to keep their heads down as they entered the facility. The footage also depicted the suspects walking with their hands behind their heads and having their hair shaved upon arrival at their cells.
“Over time, these actions, combined with the production already being generated by more than 40,000 inmates engaged in various workshops and labor under the Zero Idleness program, will help make our prison system self-sustainable,” Bukele stated. “As of today, it costs $200 million per year.”
He further explained that the detainment of MS-13 members “will help us finalize intelligence gathering and go after the last remnants of MS-13, including its former and new members, money, weapons, drugs, hideouts, collaborators, and sponsors.”
“As always, we continue advancing in the fight against organized crime,” he continued. “But this time, we are also helping our allies, making our prison system self-sustainable, and obtaining vital intelligence to make our country an even safer place. All in a single action. May God bless El Salvador, and may God bless the United States,” Bukele concluded.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also applauded Bukele’s remarks, expressing his gratitude to the Salvadoran leader for his “assistance and friendship.”
“President @nayibbukele is not only the strongest security leader in our region, he’s also a great friend of the U.S.,” Rubio posted on X. “Thank you!”