(AP) – A U.S. Air Force plane landed in El Salvador carrying 17 Venezuelans accused of being gang members.
Their deportation proceeded despite a judicial order temporarily blocking the U.S. government from sending individuals to countries other than their own without first allowing them to appeal for protection.
The Trump administration is defending its decision in federal court, arguing that it was justified in deporting the Venezuelans to El Salvador.
Activists claim that officials have placed the deportees in a prison known for human rights abuses, despite presenting little evidence to support the allegations of gang affiliation.
The Venezuelans were removed from the U.S. in March after former President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a law granting the president wartime powers to deport noncitizens without due process.
A key unresolved issue is determining when and how the deportees might be released, as they are not serving any formal prison sentences.
