This image, courtesy of El Salvador’s presidential press office, shows a prison guard relocating deportees from the U.S. who are suspected Venezuelan gang members to the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador on Sunday, March 16, 2025.
AP/El Salvador presidential press office
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AP/El Salvador presidential press office
This image, courtesy of El Salvador’s presidential press office, shows a prison guard relocating deportees from the U.S. who are suspected Venezuelan gang members to the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador on Sunday, March 16, 2025.
AP/El Salvador presidential press office
“Oops, too late,” was the post on X from the President of El Salvador, which was shared by Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the weekend, accompanied by a laugh-crying emoji in response to a headline regarding a judge’s ruling.
The ruling stated that the Trump Administration should not deport Venezuelans to El Salvador.
This decision followed the case of a Brown University physician from Lebanon, on an H1-B visa, who was deported. This occurred despite a federal judge commanding her to attend an in-person hearing on Monday.
In a court submission today, government attorneys indicated that U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents claimed they were unaware of the court order until after the doctor had already been sent back.
The administration maintains it is not disobeying court mandates. Trump has yet to expressly and officially defy the courts. But can he undermine them simply by suggesting defiance?
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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan.
It was edited by Courtney Dorning.
Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
