We told you over the weekend that an Obama-appointed federal judge claimed that President Trump cannot use the Alien Enemies Act and blocked the deportation flights and ordered those in the air to return home.

But the media is claiming the White House ignored the order and deported two planeloads of Tren de Aragua gang members.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt went on the record this morning saying that is NOT what happened, that the deportation flights were no longer in US territory when the judge issued his decision.

She also makes clear that the decision was illegal and cites the Supreme Court’s ruling that federal courts have no jurisdiction in matters of foreign policy.

Here’s her official response:

The Administration did not ‘refuse to comply’ with a court order. The order, which had no lawful basis, was issued after terrorist TdA aliens had already been removed from U.S. territory. The written order and the Administration’s actions do not conflict.

Moreover, as the Supreme Court has repeatedly made clear — federal courts generally have no jurisdiction over the President’s conduct of foreign affairs, his authorities under the Alien Enemies Act, and his core Article II powers to remove foreign alien terrorists from U.S. soil and repel a declared invasion. A single judge in a single city cannot direct the movements of an aircraft carrying foreign alien terrorists who were physically expelled from U.S. soil.

 
UPDATE: JD Vance also responded to this…