Trump’s showdown with the courts over deportations, briefly explained

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Logoff: Today I’m focusing on the Trump administration’s showdown with the courts over deportations, a standoff with major implications for immigration policy and even larger ones for the rule of law.

What’s the latest? Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a wartime power that gives the president authority to deport certain foreign nationals without a hearing. By Saturday, the administration had used that power to deport hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador, including alleged members of the Venezuelan gang “Tren de Aragua.” A federal judge ordered the deportations paused amid lawsuits from civil liberties groups, but the migrants arrived in El Salvador — and remain there — despite the judge’s order.

Did the administration violate a court order? The judge ruled the deportations should be paused. The administration claims the judge lacked the authority to halt the deportations, in part because his order wasn’t issued until some deportation flights were over international waters. Critics say the administration is pettifogging the issue to obscure the fact that it overran a federal judge.

What’s the big picture for immigration? Due process was always going to pose legal and logistical hurdles to Trump’s plan for the largest mass deportation campaign in history. In the Alien Enemies Act, the administration has found a partial workaround — at the expense of civil liberties. 

What’s the big picture for democracy? Amid congressional Republicans’ supine posture, the judicial branch has been the main check on Trump’s power. The big question has been: “What happens if Trump ignores the courts?” The administration has now shown at least a willingness to flout the spirit of a court ruling — even if they’re not explicitly saying they’re defying the court’s order. That puts us a step closer to a full-blown Constitutional crisis.

And with that, it’s time to log off…

I’ve struggled to face what’s unfolding in places that depended on USAID before the administration gutted the agency, which is why I was so grateful for my colleague Sigal Samuel’s Vox piece on how we can help. She writes: “Some may question whether it should fall to private donors to fill in the funding gaps this way; isn’t this the government’s job? It is. But in moments when the government isn’t doing nearly enough, individual generosity can really shine by stepping in with emergency aid. This is one of those moments. … You are not powerless here.” 

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow.