A District of Columbia court has ordered an end to mass deportations of migrants from the US under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 and the return of all flights carrying deportees, Politico reported.
Judge James Boasberg has ordered a halt to deportations of migrants while the court determines the legal validity of US President Donald Trump's use of an 18th century law, which has only been used three times in US history and is designed to quickly expel foreigners from the country during wartime. The temporary ban on deportations of migrants will be in effect for 14 days.
„Any plane carrying these people that is about to take off or is already in the air must be returned to the US immediately by all means necessary. "Make sure this is done immediately," the newspaper quoted the judge as saying. According to him, at the time the court issued its decision, at least two planes carrying migrants that took off from Texas were already approaching their destinations in El Salvador and Honduras.
Earlier, Trump signed a proclamation based on the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which orders the immediate arrest, detention and deportation from the United States of members of the Venezuelan-based transnational criminal group Tren de Aragua.