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The White House asserted Sun that federal courts "have no jurisdiction" over #Trump's authority to expel foreign *enemies* under an 18th-century #law historically used only in wartime.
Judge James Boasberg in Washington set a hearing for 5PM ET (2000 GMT) on Mon & instructed the govt to provide details on whether the flights that transported the #Venezuelans to #ElSalvador took off after his order or were in the air at the time.
#Constitution #14thAmendment #5thAmendment #DueProcess #immigration

The hearing was scheduled in response to an overnight filing by the ACLU & other advocates seeking clarity on the flights.

The rapid developments represent a potential escalation in #Trump's challenge to the US #Constitution's system of #ChecksAndBalances & the #independence of the #JudicialBranch of govt.

At an emergency hearing on Sat requested…Boasberg issued a 2wk temporary block on Trump's use of the #AlienEnemiesAct of 1798 to deport 238 alleged members of Tren de Aragua….

The judge said in court that any flights already en route should return to the #US. His written order following the hearing appeared in the court's online docket at 7:26PM ET….

WH press sec Karoline Leavitt issued a stmnt on Sun denying the #Trump admin had violated Boasberg's order, while also questioning his #power to issue it:

"A single judge in a single city cannot direct the movements of an aircraft ... full of foreign alien terrorists who were physically expelled from US soil.”

The flights suggest the #Trump admin may be growing more brazen in its defiance of judicial restraint. The #US #Constitution established the #judiciary as a co-#equal & #independent branch of government.

Trump has sought to *push* [illegally expand] the boundaries of #ExecutivePower since taking office in Jan, cutting spending authorized by #Congress, dismantling #FederalAgencies & firing tens of thousands of #FederalWorkers.

On Mon, #Trump's border czar, #TomHoman, said the flights were already in international airspace when the judge's orders came & that more flights would continue.

"Once you're outside the border, you know, it is what it is. But they're in international waters, already on the way south, close to landing. You know what? ... We did what we had to do," he told FauxNews…. [The law applied to the admin’s actions who were not in international jurisdiction; idiot.]

Asked what was next, #TomHoman said: "Another flight, another flight every day."

"We're not stopping. I don't care what the judges think," he added.

With the #Republican-controlled #Congress largely backing his agenda, federal judges have often been the only constraint on #Trump, putting many actions hold while they consider their legality. In several cases, the admin has refused to comply w/judicial orders.