While the White House insists it has complied with a recent court order temporarily blocking the president from invoking a rarely used wartime authority, ABC News’ review of flight data and court documents suggests the Trump administration ignored the court’s ruling.
The dispute came after President Donald Trump invoked a centuries-old law that would give him the ability to deport any noncitizen with little to no due process.
After a group of noncitizens — alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua — sued to prevent their imminent deportations, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ordered the Trump administration to direct two flights carrying noncitizens back to the United States more than 45 minutes before the first of the two flights landed in Honduras.
Both flights carrying noncitizens took off from Valley International Airport in Texas during a break in an emergency court hearing about the legality of the deportations, and the flights were in the air when Judge Boasberg issued his final decision.
Alleged members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua who were deported by the U.S. government, are detained at the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador in a photo obtained Mar. 16, 2025.
Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia via AFP via Getty Images
The Trump administration acknowledged in a court filing on Sunday that they had already removed “some gang members subject to removal under the Proclamation;” however, they argued that the noncitizens were removed before the court issued its order at 7:26 p.m.
But Judge Boasberg had ordered to “make sure [the order] is complied with immediately” at 6:46 p.m.Nevertheless, the flights landed in Honduras at 7:37 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. before making the short trip to El Salvador later that evening.
In a statement to ABC News, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration “did not ‘refuse to comply’ with a court order” and that the court’s “written order and the Administration’s actions do not conflict.”
“A single judge in a single city cannot direct the movements of an aircraft carrier full of foreign alien terrorists who were physically expelled from U.S. soil,” Leavitt said.
A full timeline of events is below:
Friday, March 14
Sources tell ABC News that President Donald Trump signed a proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, arguing the group is a “hybrid criminal state that is perpetrating an invasion of and predatory incursion into the United States.”
The proclamation is not announced by the White House until Saturday afternoon.
Saturday, March 15
2 a.m.: Five Venezuelan men represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Democracy Forward Foundation sue the Trump administration to prevent their “imminent removal.”
11:30 a.m.: U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issues a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from deporting the five men using the Alien Enemies Act. He sets a 5:00 p.m. emergency hearing.
1 p.m.: The Trump administration files a notice of appeal to challenge Boasberg’s temporary restraining order.
Alleged members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua who were deported by the U.S. government, are detained at the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador in a photo obtained Mar. 16, 2025.
Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia via AFP via Getty Images
3:30 p.m.: Two buses carrying migrants depart El Valle Detention Facility in Raymondville, Texas. Jaime Diez, a local immigration attorney, captures video showing one bus escorted by law enforcement departing the facility at 3:36 p.m. en route to Valley International Airport.
3:51 p.m.: The White House issues a press release announcing that Trump had invoked the Alien Enemies Act to begin deporting alleged members of Tren de Aragua.
5 p.m.: Boasberg begins an emergency hearing to consider extending his temporary restraining order to cover any noncitizen covered under Trump’s recent proclamation.
5:22 p.m.: Boasberg pauses the hearing so Department of Justice lawyers can confirm whether the Trump administration is actively deporting noncitizens pursuant to the AEA declaration. He says he is considering issuing a broader order to block the deportation of any noncitizen covered by the proclamation, noting that the ACLU has demonstrated “the harm that will befall individual plaintiffs upon removal.”
5:25 p.m.: The first flight (G66143) carrying some alleged members of Tren de Aragua subject to Trump’s proclamation departs Harlingen, Texas en route to Comayagua, Honduras.
5:44 p.m.: The second flight (G66145) carrying alleged members of Tren de Aragua departs.
6:05 p.m.: Boasberg resumes the emergency hearing. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign first declined to say whether any deportations were ongoing, saying disclosing “operational details” would raise “potential national security issues.” He later acknowledges that two flights had already departed.
Salvadoran police officers escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua recently deported by the U.S. government to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center prison, in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, obtained March 16, 2025.
Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia via Reuters
6:44 p.m.: Boasberg says he will issue a temporary restraining order blocking the deportation of any noncitizen subject to Trump’s proclamation. “Flights are actively departing and plan to depart. I do not believe that I am able to wait any longer,” he said.
6:46 p.m.: Boasberg orders the DOJ to immediately turn around two planes if they are carrying noncitizens covered by his order.
“You shall inform your clients of this immediately any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States,” he said. “However that’s accomplished, turning around the plane, or not embarking anyone on the plane… this is something that you need to make sure is complied with immediately,” he added.
7:26 p.m.: Boasberg issues a brief written order memorializing his decision.
7:37 p.m.: The first deportation flight (G66143) that departed Texas arrives in Honduras.
8:10 p.m.: The second deportation flight (G66145) arrives in Honduras.
9 p.m.: The Trump administration files a notice of appeal to challenge Boasberg’s temporary restraining order.
11:39 p.m.: The first deportation flight (G66143) departs Honduras for San Salvador, El Salvador.
11:43 p.m.: The second deportation flight (G66145) departs Honduras for San Salvador, El Salvador.
Sunday, March 16
12:10 a.m.: The first deportation flight (G66143) lands in El Salvador.
12:18 a.m.: The second deportation flight (G66145) lands in El Salvador.
1:00 a.m.: The Trump administration files an emergency motion with the D.C. Circuit Court to stay Boasberg’s temporary restraining order.
Overnight: Over 230 alleged members of Tren de Aragua are transferred from U.S. custody to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center. The Trump administration later acknowledged that “some gang members” subject to the president’s proclamation were already removed but claimed their deportation predated the court’s order.
Alleged members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua who were deported by the U.S. government, are detained at the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador in a photo obtained Mar. 16, 2025.
Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia via Reuters
“Federal Defendants further report, based on information from the Department of Homeland Security, that some gang members subject to removal under the Proclamation had already been removed from United States territory under the Proclamation before the issuance of this Court’s second order,” DOJ lawyers said in filing Sunday afternoon.
7:46 a.m.: El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele shares a New York Post story about Boasberg’s order, writing “Oopsie…Too late,” with a laughing emoji.
7:50 a.m.: Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces that the United States has “sent over 250 alien enemy members of Tren de Aragua which El Salvador has agreed to hold in their very good jails at a fair price that will also save our taxpayer dollars.”
8:13 a.m.: Bukele announces on X that the United States has paid El Salvador “a very low fee” to detain 238 alleged members of Tren de Aragua for one year.
Alleged members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua who were deported by the U.S. government, are detained at the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador in a photo obtained Mar. 16, 2025.
Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia via AFP via Getty Images
8:39 a.m.: Rubio shares Bukele’s post, writing, “Thank you for your assistance and friendship, President Bukele.”
9:15 a.m.: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announces that the Trump administration had “extracted and removed” nearly “300 Tren De Aragua terrorists” to El Salvador.
3:54 p.m.: Trump shares Bukele’s video on Truth Social, thanks El Salvador for taking the “monsters” from the U.S.
5:30 p.m.: In a court filing, the Trump administration says they are complying with the court’s order but vowed to continue deporting noncitizens. The Department of Justice also acknowledged that the Trump administration had deported some “gang members” yesterday subject to the Alien Enemies Act but claimed the removals happened before the court issued its order.
