Deportations

President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 against Tren de Aragua members, provoking a legal fight. Here's what to know about the controversial law, which was last used during World War II.

It was not clear if the deportations happened before a D.C. federal judge ordered the administration to stop using wartime powers to deport anyone immediately, and turn around any planes in the air.

Trump invoked the wartime authority Alien Enemies Act, targeting members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua for expedited deportation. But a federal judge blocked the action Saturday evening.

President Trump also detained families during his first term in an effort to deter migration through the southern border.

The Trump administration is tapping several other agencies to help deport and arrest those without legal status — a novel step that is prompting some pushback.

Immigration authorities are making more arrests than they did under President Biden. But the Department of Homeland Security's own data shows that they're not keeping pace with White House demands.

The Trump administration's immigration positions — including mass deportation — have put businesses that employ people without legal status on notice.

The Trump administration is expanding its immigration detention capacity, reopening a 1,000-bed detention center in New Jersey and adding beds at other privately owned facilities around the country.

The White House portrays its immigration crackdown as a success. Critics say the administration is trying to look tough for the cameras, and worry about the "tail wagging the dog."

U.S. officials said this strategy seeks to distance deported individuals from Mexico’s northern border, making immediate re-entry more difficult and discouraging further attempts to cross the border.