Luke Broadwater

Sort of combing through old laws, old statutes to try to figure out how they can get more people out of the country as quickly as possible without so many judges and reviews and hearings standing in their way. And so. On Friday, the president takes an extraordinary step.

Sort of combing through old laws, old statutes to try to figure out how they can get more people out of the country as quickly as possible without so many judges and reviews and hearings standing in their way. And so. On Friday, the president takes an extraordinary step.

He signs an executive order in which he invokes wartime powers from the 1700s called the Alien Enemies Act, which is really supposed to apply to a time of war. Mm-hmm. He claims the United States is being invaded and the order targets a criminal gang from Venezuela.

He signs an executive order in which he invokes wartime powers from the 1700s called the Alien Enemies Act, which is really supposed to apply to a time of war. Mm-hmm. He claims the United States is being invaded and the order targets a criminal gang from Venezuela.

And using this authority, he argues he is able to bypass the normal system of judicial review and deport hundreds of migrants to holding cells in El Salvador.

And using this authority, he argues he is able to bypass the normal system of judicial review and deport hundreds of migrants to holding cells in El Salvador.

That's absolutely right. What's happened here is the United States has struck a deal with the government of El Salvador to ship migrants that the United States doesn't want in the country to El Salvador to jail cells there. That is an extraordinary step. And then on top of that, it isn't announced. the border is kept under wraps.

That's absolutely right. What's happened here is the United States has struck a deal with the government of El Salvador to ship migrants that the United States doesn't want in the country to El Salvador to jail cells there. That is an extraordinary step. And then on top of that, it isn't announced. the border is kept under wraps.

And so the Trump administration can begin setting the wheels in motion to start these deportations without people really knowing about it. Now, this is where things get interesting. The ACLU caught wind that the administration was planning to do this executive order. And they file a preemptive lawsuit to try to block it.

And so the Trump administration can begin setting the wheels in motion to start these deportations without people really knowing about it. Now, this is where things get interesting. The ACLU caught wind that the administration was planning to do this executive order. And they file a preemptive lawsuit to try to block it.

They are able to file it on behalf of five migrants who would be subject to deportation. And that sets in motion what's essentially a weekend-long sprint between the administration and the ACLU, with both sides trying to race to either deport these people or block the deportations.

They are able to file it on behalf of five migrants who would be subject to deportation. And that sets in motion what's essentially a weekend-long sprint between the administration and the ACLU, with both sides trying to race to either deport these people or block the deportations.

Well, they're arguing, one, that the president cannot invoke these wartime powers because the country is not at war with Venezuela. Right. But more fundamentally, it's that Everybody in America is supposed to get due process.

Well, they're arguing, one, that the president cannot invoke these wartime powers because the country is not at war with Venezuela. Right. But more fundamentally, it's that Everybody in America is supposed to get due process.

That we don't actually know whether or not these men who are being held in these detention facilities are the hardened criminals the Trump administration says they are if they haven't had a hearing before a judge. We have lawyers and family members of some of these people who say they are not gang members.

That we don't actually know whether or not these men who are being held in these detention facilities are the hardened criminals the Trump administration says they are if they haven't had a hearing before a judge. We have lawyers and family members of some of these people who say they are not gang members.

And so how can the administration be sure, how can the American public be sure that the allegations against them are in fact true? So without a hearing, without due process, that – becomes a fundamental violation of really core American principles.

And so how can the administration be sure, how can the American public be sure that the allegations against them are in fact true? So without a hearing, without due process, that – becomes a fundamental violation of really core American principles.

And so that's the larger issue at stake here is, will the judge allow these expedited deportations to take place under the guise that this is an act of war, or will he enforce the existing immigration laws?

And so that's the larger issue at stake here is, will the judge allow these expedited deportations to take place under the guise that this is an act of war, or will he enforce the existing immigration laws?