Border Czar Defies Court Order Seeking To Stop Deportation Of Alleged Venezuelan Gang Members: "I Don't Care'

Border Czar Tom Homan defied legal challenges to the Trump administration's decision to invoke a centuries-old law to deport hundreds of people alleged to be part of Venezuelan-born gang Tren de Aragua.

"We're not stopping. I don't care what the judges think. I don't care what the left thinks. We're coming," Homan said in an interview with Fox News.

Homan's remarks came as the Trump administration faces backlash over its decision to proceed with deportation flights despite a federal judge's order temporarily blocking such actions.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg had issued a two-week halt on the deportations, citing concerns over the legality of using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to justify the removals.

The planes were already over international waters when the court order was issued, leading officials to argue that the ruling did not apply because the deportation flights had left U.S. airspace before the order was issued.

"They were already outside of U.S. airspace. We believe the order is not applicable," one official said told Axios. "We are not actively defying court orders," another one emphasized.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a verbal order on Saturday afternoon to stop the deportations and instructed that any planes in flight should be turned around. However, this directive was not included in his written ruling, a distinction that has become central to the administration's defense.

The law allows the deportation of people from an enemy country without a hearing. It has been invoked three times throughout American history, including during both World Wars.

The Trump administration argued that the law was applicable citing what they call an "invasion" by criminal migrants. "This is a time of war," Trump said when asked about the move, defending the deportations and calling the individuals "bad people."

President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele responded to the halt on social media with a screenshot of an article with the caption, "Oopsie... too late."

Bukele posted on Sunday a video of the deportees arriving at the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), being treated roughly by the guards, and getting their heads and facial hair shaved.

El Salvador's mega-prison, built to house up to 40,000 inmates, has been a centerpiece of Bukele's tough-on-crime policies. His administration has used mass incarceration as a primary tool to dismantle criminal organizations, drawing both praise and criticism for its effectiveness and human rights concerns. The agreement with the Trump administration began to be negotiated during a visit by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in February.

Trump commended El Salvador for taking the deportees, especially thanking Bukele for "your understanding of this horrible situation, which was allowed to happen to the United States because of incompetent Democrat leadership."