Trump administration deports hundreds to El Salvador, despite court order

The Trump administration deported about 250 people who it says are members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan prison gang, to El Salvador this weekend, multiple members of the administration said on social media on Sunday.

It was not immediately clear if the deportations happened before or after a federal judge in D.C. on Saturday issued an emergency order that told the administration to stop using wartime powers to immediately deport people, and turn around any planes already in the air. Senior Justice Department officials in a filing on Sunday argued that the order came too late to stop the deportations, as planes were already outside U.S. territory.

President Trump on Saturday issued a proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 against Tren de Aragua. The seldom-used law gives the president authority to detain or deport nationals of an enemy nation during wartime or invasion. It's the first time the act has been used since World War II.

The deportations to El Salvador also included two alleged leaders of the MS-13 gang, which wasn't included in Saturday's action, and 21 other members of the gang, according to posts from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and from El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.