Legal Tug-of-War: Deportation Flights and Judicial Orders

The Justice Department is in a standoff with a federal judge demanding more information on deportation flights to El Salvador. The Trump administration challenges the judge's authority, arguing it encroaches on executive powers, as they defend their invocation of the Alien Enemies Act amid national security claims.

The Justice Department is resisting a federal judge's demand for details on deportation flights to El Salvador. On Wednesday, officials argued that the court's inquiries undermine the executive branch's authority.

This clash stems from a broader dispute involving President Trump's use of an 18th-century wartime declaration to deport individuals. The administration has faced multiple legal challenges limiting its executive actions. U.S. District Judge Jeb Boasberg, an Obama appointee, has temporarily blocked deportations, requiring the administration to provide sealed answers on flights' specifics and deportee numbers.

The Justice Department criticized these requests as overreach, suggesting it might invoke the 'state secrets privilege' to withhold sensitive data. They asserted that the judiciary's decisions shouldn't overrule presidential authority, especially regarding foreign policy and national security, as invoked in response to the perceived threat of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua.

(With inputs from agencies.)