The New York Times reconstructed how the Trump administration and President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador struck a deal that led to the deportation of more than 200 Venezuelan migrants to a Salvadoran prison.
The timeline below focuses on March 15, the day deportation planes took off, even as a federal judge sought to halt them.
The day before
Mr. Trump secretly signed an executive order invoking an 18th-century wartime law called the Alien Enemies Act. He claimed that the Tren de Aragua gang was “conducting irregular warfare” at the direction of Venezuela and called for the apprehension and removal of all Venezuelans aged 14 and older who were deemed members of the gang.
March 15
1:12 a.m.
9:40 a.m.
He schedules a hearing at 5 p.m. to discuss whether the order should extend to all Venezuelan migrants who may fall subject to deportation under the Alien Enemies Act.
10:18 a.m.
The Department of Justice confirms they have received the order. Relevant agencies are informed.
3:53 p.m.
5 p.m.
The hearing begins. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign says that the five plaintiffs named in the A.C.L.U. complaint will remain in the country for a 14-day period, and that he does not know if or when any flights are set to depart.
5:22 p.m.
Judge Boasberg, seeking information about whether any deportation flights are scheduled in the coming days, calls for a break so that Mr. Ensign can find out.
6 p.m.
The hearing resumes. Mr. Ensign says he has few details to share because of “national security issues.”
6:48 p.m.
He verbally extends his order to cover all migrants subject to deportation under the Alien Enemies Act.
5:26 – 5:44 p.m.
The first and second deportation flights depart from Harlingen, Texas.
6:48 p.m.
The first deportation plane is over southern Mexico, and the second is over the Gulf of Mexico. A third flight is preparing to depart.
Location of the flights at 6:48 p.m.
About 7 p.m.
Mr. Ensign emails officials from the Departments of State and Homeland Security, informing them of the verbal order.
7:26 p.m.
Judge Boasberg’s written order is posted online.
7:36 p.m.
The third deportation flight departs from Harlingen, Texas. Officials would later say the migrants on that flight were deported not under the Alien Enemies Act, but through regular immigration proceedings.
The day after
The three planes landed in El Salvador between 12:10 a.m. and 1:08 a.m. E.T. on March 16 after stopping over in Honduras. Just before 8 a.m, Mr. Bukele posted a screenshot of a news story describing Judge Boasberg’s order to halt the planes. “Oopsie,” he wrote, “Too late.”
The White House’s decision to press forward, despite Judge Boasberg’s order, raised questions about whether the administration was defying the court. The Justice Department has argued that a federal judge cannot dictate foreign policy.
