Rachel Maddow

Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee. Sir, thank you so much for your time. I know you're a busy man right now, and I really appreciate you being here. Thank you, Rachel. All right. We've got much more news ahead here tonight. Stay with us. Busy night.

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen was the first, but he was just the start. Four more members of Congress went to El Salvador today, including Democrats Maxwell Frost, who you saw speaking there, Robert Garcia, Maxine Dexter, and Yasemin Ansari, all to demand the return of Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, the man the Trump administration sent to a mega prison in that country without any due process.

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen was the first, but he was just the start. Four more members of Congress went to El Salvador today, including Democrats Maxwell Frost, who you saw speaking there, Robert Garcia, Maxine Dexter, and Yasemin Ansari, all to demand the return of Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, the man the Trump administration sent to a mega prison in that country without any due process.

In court, the administration admitted that sending him to that prison was what they called an administrative error. But it's not just him. The Trump administration has sent hundreds of people to that prison with little to no due process. The legal battle over that policy took a significant turn over the weekend. You might remember Friday Night Show.

In court, the administration admitted that sending him to that prison was what they called an administrative error. But it's not just him. The Trump administration has sent hundreds of people to that prison with little to no due process. The legal battle over that policy took a significant turn over the weekend. You might remember Friday Night Show.

We talked about early reports that the Trump administration might have been trying to send a whole new group of people to El Salvador from the Blue Bonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas. On Friday night, we got in this footage of a bus full of people leaving that immigration prison in Texas. Bound for parts unknown.

We talked about early reports that the Trump administration might have been trying to send a whole new group of people to El Salvador from the Blue Bonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas. On Friday night, we got in this footage of a bus full of people leaving that immigration prison in Texas. Bound for parts unknown.

Well, NBC News now reports there were as many as 28 people on that bus, most of them men from Venezuela. NBC News also now reporting that some of them on board were told they were being deported to El Salvador. And we showed you that video of that bus leaving the Blue Bonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas. But we didn't show you what happened next. What happened next is pretty remarkable.

Well, NBC News now reports there were as many as 28 people on that bus, most of them men from Venezuela. NBC News also now reporting that some of them on board were told they were being deported to El Salvador. And we showed you that video of that bus leaving the Blue Bonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas. But we didn't show you what happened next. What happened next is pretty remarkable.

This is footage taken by NBC News of that bus getting on the highway, heading toward an airport in North Texas. There's a caravan of about 15 law enforcement vehicles traveling with the bus. But the bus and that huge caravan of law enforcement passes the exit for the airport. They drive past it. They abruptly turn around.

This is footage taken by NBC News of that bus getting on the highway, heading toward an airport in North Texas. There's a caravan of about 15 law enforcement vehicles traveling with the bus. But the bus and that huge caravan of law enforcement passes the exit for the airport. They drive past it. They abruptly turn around.

and looped back and came back to where they started, came back to the detention center in Anson. Now, we do not know exactly why that bus and that huge caravan abruptly drove to the airport, drove past it, turned around, and came back. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security would not comment to NBC News about why the bus was turned around.

and looped back and came back to where they started, came back to the detention center in Anson. Now, we do not know exactly why that bus and that huge caravan abruptly drove to the airport, drove past it, turned around, and came back. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security would not comment to NBC News about why the bus was turned around.

But it may have something to do with Herculean efforts made by the ACLU, and specifically by the ACLU's League Alert. who's one of the lawyers who is leading the legal fight against these deportations and against this policy of shipping people to a foreign forever prison.

But it may have something to do with Herculean efforts made by the ACLU, and specifically by the ACLU's League Alert. who's one of the lawyers who is leading the legal fight against these deportations and against this policy of shipping people to a foreign forever prison.

That night, as that bus was leaving that prison in Texas, it was League Alert and his team who rushed to three separate courts within five hours to try to stop yet another group of people from being sent by Donald Trump to El Salvador, presumably with no way back. and potentially including the people on that bus. Again, three different courts in five hours to try to stop this from happening.

That night, as that bus was leaving that prison in Texas, it was League Alert and his team who rushed to three separate courts within five hours to try to stop yet another group of people from being sent by Donald Trump to El Salvador, presumably with no way back. and potentially including the people on that bus. Again, three different courts in five hours to try to stop this from happening.

Among other things, that led to this extraordinary order from the United States Supreme Court issued in the dead of night at 1 a.m. Eastern time, Friday night slash Saturday morning. Quote, "'The government is directed not to remove any member of the putative class of detainees from the United States until further order of this court.'"

Among other things, that led to this extraordinary order from the United States Supreme Court issued in the dead of night at 1 a.m. Eastern time, Friday night slash Saturday morning. Quote, "'The government is directed not to remove any member of the putative class of detainees from the United States until further order of this court.'"

In other words, by direct order of the United States Supreme Court, using clearer language this time, the Trump administration has been told they cannot send people out of the country on flights like this until the Supreme Court can weigh in further. Seven Supreme Court justices signed on to that decision. Thomas and Alito dissented.