PDB Situation Report | March 22nd, 2025: Trump’s Venezuelan Gang Deportations & U.S. Hits Back At Houthis
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What is the controversy behind the Trump administration's deportations?
Welcome to the PDB Situation Report. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. We'll start off today with the controversy behind the administration's deportation of hundreds of alleged gang members to El Salvador using a law that dates back all the way to 1798. Art Arthur of the Center for Immigration Studies will join us to provide insight. Later in the show, the U.S. continues to pound the Iran-backed Houthi rebels as President Trump vows that the Yemen-based group will be annihilated for attacking U.S. ships. Editor of the Foundation for a Defense of Democracy's Long War journal, Bill Roggio, will help us sort out what's happening there, and there's a lot to unpack. But first, our Situation Report Spotlight.
The Trump administration has deported over 200 alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, citing national security concerns and invoking the rarely used Alien Enemies Act of 1798. I believe the last time it was used was some 80 years ago during World War II. Officials say these individuals are linked to the Trendaragua gang, a TDA gang, and have been sent to El Salvador's notorious CICOT facility. That's the high security mega prison known for housing violent gang members. A federal judge attempted to halt the move while the planes were reportedly still in the air heading to El Salvador. But the administration pushed forward, sparking outrage from advocates who argue many of the deportees have no criminal ties. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called it a, quote, kidnapping. Well, he's certainly on moral high ground to judge anyone, while the White House insists it's a tough but necessary measure to ensure national security.
Joining me now is the resident fellow in law and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies, Art Arthur. Thanks very much for joining us here on the PDB Situation Report. Thanks so much for having me, Mike. Absolutely. Well, I guess let's start at 30,000 feet. Talk to me about the recent deportation, the Venezuelans, the TDA gang members. Give us sort of an overview of... how that took place and then we can kind of dive into the degree to which those sort of actions are going to be stopped by the judges.
What is the Alien Enemies Act of 1798?
So generally, when aliens are deported from the United States, they're deported under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the INA, or Title VIII, as the Biden administration would refer to it. And that's the baseline of laws that we use to determine who can come in, who should be sent away, and who should be allowed to stay. But with respect to the Tren de Aragwa members who were sent by the Trump administration to El Salvador, those individuals were actually expelled under a different authority, the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a law that was passed during a period of time when France was in the throes of a revolution and the United States was afraid that it was going to get dragged into that war.
And it allows the president to detain and deport individuals who are nationals of countries with which we're at war, or alternatively, individuals who have invaded the United States. And the president's contention is no. that Tren de Aragua is such a well-organized criminal cartel, transnational criminal organization, that they function sort of as a state, and also that they have ties to the regime of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro. And thus, the president concludes that the authorities in the Alien Enemies Act are sufficient to allow him to take those Tren de Aragua members and send them outside the United States. What do you think? Is that a correct interpretation? I think it's definitely an authority that the president has. I think that it's appropriate for him to make a determination.
He knows a whole lot more about how Trendy Aragua operates and what relationship they have with the socialist government in Venezuela than most of the American people do. And, Mike, most of that information is, you know, highly sensitive information, law enforcement sensitive stuff.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the controversy behind the Trump administration's deportations?
0:12–2:34
2
What is the Alien Enemies Act of 1798?
2:34–5:06
3
How does the Trump administration justify deportations of gang members?
5:06–10:05
4
What are the legal implications of the deportation actions?
10:05–12:24
5
How are the Houthi rebels affecting U.S. foreign policy?
12:24–19:45
6
What is the significance of the TDA gang in this context?
19:45–31:54
7
What are the implications of the Khalil case on U.S. immigration policy?
31:54–38:49
8
How might the Supreme Court influence these immigration cases?
38:49–50:33
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from The President's Daily Brief
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