Legal battles and deportation flights: timeline of Donald Trump's alien enemies act row

President Donald Trump’s decision to use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport hundreds of immigrants, including Venezuelans, has sparked a legal and political conflict. This move has led to court battles, government pushback, and strong criticism from both domestic and international figures. Here is a simple summary of the key events and reactions.

Trump’s order and immediate reactions

On March 15, 2025, the White House announced that President Donald Trump had officially invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. This law gives the president the power to deport or detain foreign nationals from countries considered enemies during wartime or conflict. Trump’s order led to the immediate deportation of hundreds of immigrants, including 137 Venezuelans, who were flown to a high-security prison in El Salvador.

• March 15, 2:16 a.m. – The ACLU and Democracy Forward, two legal advocacy groups, filed a lawsuit on behalf of five Venezuelan immigrants detained in the U.S. They argued that the immigrants were falsely accused of being part of the Venezuelan criminal gang, Tren de Aragua, and feared they would be deported under the Alien Enemies Act.
• 9:40 a.m. – Judge James E. Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order, preventing the government from deporting the five Venezuelans. He scheduled a hearing for 5:00 p.m. to decide whether to extend the order.
• 4:00 p.m. – The White House publicly released the order invoking the Alien Enemies Act.
• 5:00 p.m. – Judge Boasberg held the hearing and asked the government if they planned to deport anyone under the new order within the next 24–48 hours. The government’s lawyer, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign, said he didn’t know and needed time to find out.
• 5:26 p.m. – Despite the court’s order, activists reported that a plane with deportees left Harlingen, Texas. A second plane departed shortly after at 5:45 p.m.
• 6:45 p.m. – Judge Boasberg ordered that any planes already in the air carrying deportees under Trump’s order must be recalled and returned to the U.S.
• 7:26 p.m. – The first plane landed in Honduras.
• 8:02 p.m. – The second plane landed in El Salvador.
• 10:41 p.m. – The first plane left Honduras and later arrived in El Salvador.

Political and public backlash

El Salvador’s Reaction

• March 16, 7:46 a.m. – El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele mocked the situation on social media, tweeting "Oopsie … Too late" with a laughing emoji after Judge Boasberg ordered the planes to return.
• 8:13 a.m. – Bukele shared a video showing the deportees arriving at El Salvador’s high-security prison.

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U.S. Political and Legal Reactions

• March 17, 5:00 p.m. – A hearing was held to address the apparent violation of the court order. Government lawyers argued that Judge Boasberg’s verbal instructions did not count as an official written order and therefore were not binding. Boasberg strongly rejected this argument.
• 12:30 p.m. – White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that 261 people had been deported, including 137 under the Alien Enemies Act.
• March 18, 8:05 a.m. – Trump criticized Judge Boasberg on social media, calling for his impeachment.
• 11:56 a.m. – Chief Justice John Roberts defended the judiciary’s independence, stating that impeachment is not an appropriate response to a court ruling.
• Midday – Boasberg ordered the administration to provide detailed information about the deportation flights, including times of departure, arrival, and the exact number of people deported.
• March 19, 8:00 a.m. – The Justice Department pushed back against Boasberg’s demand for information, calling it an "intrusion into executive authority."
• 10:30 a.m. – Boasberg refused to withdraw his order but extended the deadline for providing information by one day.

Key Issues and Arguments

1. Legal Authority: The Trump administration argued that the Alien Enemies Act gives the president broad power to deport foreign nationals from hostile countries without interference from the courts.
2. Human Rights Concerns: The ACLU and other legal groups argued that the deportations were unjust, rushed, and based on false accusations.
3. Judicial Overreach: The Justice Department maintained that Judge Boasberg’s demand for flight details violated the executive branch's authority over national security and foreign policy.

The controversy over Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act reflects a broader political and legal struggle over immigration policy in the U.S. While Trump’s administration defends the move as necessary for national security, human rights groups and the judiciary view it as an abuse of power.

The legal battle over the Alien Enemies Act is expected to continue, with both sides preparing for further court hearings and potential appeals. The conflict also raises questions about the balance of power between the executive branch and the judiciary, as well as the future of immigration policy in the U.S.