Hundreds of Venezuelans, accused of being gang members, are whisked away on a midnight flight to El Salvador, despite a federal judge basically yelling, “STOP THAT PLANE!” It’s like a buddy cop movie gone rogue, only with more handcuffs and less witty banter.
Over in El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele is practically throwing a welcome party, posting a three-minute blockbuster trailer on social media. It stars 238 alleged Tren de Aragua gangsters stepping off a plane, getting a free prison haircut (bald is the new black!), and settling into their new digs.
Bukele’s caption? “The U.S. got a bargain, but we’re cashing in big time!” Somewhere, a budget-conscious accountant is shedding a tear of joy.
The Trump crew is banking on a dusty old law from 1798—the Alien Enemies Act, which sounds like a sci-fi flick but is actually a real thing. It’s the legal equivalent of a “Get Out of Jail Free” card for deportations, last used to round up Japanese Americans during WWII.
Subtlety? Not in this administration’s vocabulary. They’re hoping to turn El Salvador into the ultimate gang member storage unit, no pesky trials required.
But wait—Judge James E. Boasberg in D.C. slams the brakes with a restraining order, shouting, “Turn those planes around, pronto!” The ACLU’s cheering from the sidelines, while the Trump team’s lawyer, Drew Ensign, mumbles something about “national security” and “oops, no details, your honor.”
Meanwhile, Bukele’s over on X like, “Too late, suckers!” with a screenshot of the judge’s order. Timing’s everything, and those two time zones between Washington and El Salvador? Chef’s kiss of chaos.
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s fuming, claiming the judge’s siding with “terrorists” over “American safety.”
On the flip side, Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s popping off on social media, bragging about shipping two MS-13 bigwigs and 21 of their buddies back to El Salvador, plus those 250+ Tren de Aragua “alien enemies.”
El Salvador’s jails, he says, are “very good” and come at a “fair price.” Someone’s been shopping at the prison equivalent of Costco.
So here we are: planes dodging court orders, gang members getting buzzcuts, and two countries haggling over the bill. It’s immigration policy meets reality TV, with a sprinkle of legal loopholes and a whole lot of “we’ll figure it out later.” Stay tuned—this episode’s far from over!
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