The article meticulously reconstructs the events of March 15, 2025, when deportation flights carrying Venezuelan migrants departed from Harlingen, Texas, despite a federal judge's temporary restraining order. The day began with an ACLU emergency petition against the Trump administration's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act. A judge issued a temporary order halting the deportation of five named individuals, later scheduling a hearing.
Despite the judge's order, two deportation flights left between 5:26 pm and 5:44 pm, followed by a third at 7:36 pm. The first two flights were in transit when the judge issued a broader order at 6:48 pm to ground all deportation flights, extending the order to all migrants subject to deportation under the Act. The administration later claimed that the third flight's deportation wasn't under the Alien Enemies Act.
The article highlights the White House's publication of the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and President Bukele's tweet following the deportations. The Justice Department's argument that a federal judge cannot dictate foreign policy raises significant legal questions.