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Trump Administration Deports Alleged Gang Members Despite Judge’s Order
White House says it followed court’s written ruling; judge verbally instructed planes en route to turn around
“… During Saturday’s hearing, American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Lee Gelernt told Boasberg that two aircraft believed to be carrying Venezuelan deportees took off from U.S. territory on Saturday. The ACLU had sued the administration earlier that day on behalf of migrants at risk of deportation.
Boasberg said Justice Department lawyers hadn’t disputed that claim, and told them that “any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States.” Boasberg said his order was “something we need to make sure is complied with immediately.”
… The judge subsequently issued a written order that didn’t explicitly mention planes that were already in the air, something White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared to point to Sunday.
…Typically lawyers view orders issued orally by judges as carrying full legal weight.
Senior White House and administration officials huddled on Saturday evening to make a decision about what to do with the judge’s order, and decided to go ahead with their plans, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The administration is expecting a fight at the Supreme Court quickly, this person said. …”