Rachel Maddow

Their contention is that that gang has supposedly been like deployed here on orders from Venezuela's president. Like he has sent them here as a little undercover army to invade us at his command on behalf of the government of Venezuela as a way of that country waging war against our country. And so they're like an army that we're fighting against because we're at war with that country.

I know it's right. That's seriously their legal rationale for what Trump has done with the El Salvadoran prison. Okay? Here's the Washington Post late last night. Quote, headline, U.S. intelligence contradicts Trump's justification for mass deportations.

I know it's right. That's seriously their legal rationale for what Trump has done with the El Salvadoran prison. Okay? Here's the Washington Post late last night. Quote, headline, U.S. intelligence contradicts Trump's justification for mass deportations.

Quote, the National Intelligence Council, drawing on the acumen of the United States' 18 intelligence agencies, determined in a secret assessment early this month that the Venezuelan government is not directing an invasion of the United States by the prison gang Tren de Aragua.

Quote, the National Intelligence Council, drawing on the acumen of the United States' 18 intelligence agencies, determined in a secret assessment early this month that the Venezuelan government is not directing an invasion of the United States by the prison gang Tren de Aragua.

Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act in mid-March, proclaiming, without evidence, that Tren de Aragua is perpetrating an invasion of the United States at the direction of the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Now, for the last quote, the intelligence product found that the gang, quote, "...does not operate at the direction of Venezuela's leader." finding builds on U.S.

Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act in mid-March, proclaiming, without evidence, that Tren de Aragua is perpetrating an invasion of the United States at the direction of the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Now, for the last quote, the intelligence product found that the gang, quote, "...does not operate at the direction of Venezuela's leader." finding builds on U.S.

intelligence findings from February as well, that the gang is not controlled by Venezuela. The legal rationale for sending all these people to this prison in El Salvador appears to be a very tissue-thin fiction. But a U.S. senator just today got back from El Salvador from trying to get one of his own constituents out of that prison.

intelligence findings from February as well, that the gang is not controlled by Venezuela. The legal rationale for sending all these people to this prison in El Salvador appears to be a very tissue-thin fiction. But a U.S. senator just today got back from El Salvador from trying to get one of his own constituents out of that prison.

And now tonight, the ACLU has been fighting in an emergency court hearing in Washington and now in an emergency application to the United States Supreme Court to try to stop Trump from what they think is yet another effort by the Trump administration tonight to prepare more planefuls of men to be shipped off to that prison. This is a legal drama, a legal emergency that has been unfolding tonight.

And now tonight, the ACLU has been fighting in an emergency court hearing in Washington and now in an emergency application to the United States Supreme Court to try to stop Trump from what they think is yet another effort by the Trump administration tonight to prepare more planefuls of men to be shipped off to that prison. This is a legal drama, a legal emergency that has been unfolding tonight.

It is unfolding now as we speak. We're going to get the latest on it and expert help to understand it next. Stay with us. The small town of Anson, Texas, has a population of just over 2000 people. Since 2019, Anson has been home to a big immigration prison, a 1000 bed, what they call an ICE detention facility. They call it the Blue Bonnet Detention Center.

It is unfolding now as we speak. We're going to get the latest on it and expert help to understand it next. Stay with us. The small town of Anson, Texas, has a population of just over 2000 people. Since 2019, Anson has been home to a big immigration prison, a 1000 bed, what they call an ICE detention facility. They call it the Blue Bonnet Detention Center.

Following account was given last night by an immigration lawyer who's representing someone who's being held at that facility, a teenager born in 2006 who has applied for asylum in this country. The lawyer says his client, the teenager, quote, was detained in Virginia on March 14th by immigration agents along with other relatives.

Following account was given last night by an immigration lawyer who's representing someone who's being held at that facility, a teenager born in 2006 who has applied for asylum in this country. The lawyer says his client, the teenager, quote, was detained in Virginia on March 14th by immigration agents along with other relatives.

Agents stated that a photograph found on Facebook proved the teenager was a member of Tren de Aragua and that one of the persons in the photograph had a gun. The teenager pointed out to the agents that the gun in question was in fact a water pistol. Sometime between April 14th and April 16th, the teenager was transferred to Blue Bonnet Detention Facility in Texas, as was his father.

Agents stated that a photograph found on Facebook proved the teenager was a member of Tren de Aragua and that one of the persons in the photograph had a gun. The teenager pointed out to the agents that the gun in question was in fact a water pistol. Sometime between April 14th and April 16th, the teenager was transferred to Blue Bonnet Detention Facility in Texas, as was his father.

Last night, the teenager's lawyer received notice through the young man's father that the teenager had been taken away by agents. The agents returned for the teenager's belongings. As he passed by, the teenager's father could see through a window that his son was crying. As the son and the agents were passing, the son held up a paper to the window.

Last night, the teenager's lawyer received notice through the young man's father that the teenager had been taken away by agents. The agents returned for the teenager's belongings. As he passed by, the teenager's father could see through a window that his son was crying. As the son and the agents were passing, the son held up a paper to the window.

Another detainee who spoke English was able to read that the paper said, deportation. For the past month, the Trump administration has been using the same wartime law that was used for Japanese internment camps during World War II to arrest men from Venezuela and then fly them to a prison in a foreign country without any legal proceeding of any kind.