The Trump administration orchestrated a controversial deportation of over 200 Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador, underpinned by the use of the Alien Enemies Act, which typically allows for the swift deportation of citizens from a hostile nation. El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele agreed to take in deportees labeled as gang members, but he sought verification that they were indeed members of the Tren de Aragua gang, raising concerns about the legitimacy of the deportations. The U.S. government faced criticism for the lack of evidence against many deportees, as well as for the hasty and chaotic manner of deportations that included mistakenly sending women to an all-male prison. The use of the Alien Enemies Act, a rarely invoked wartime law, bypassed standard legal processes and sparked a legal battle expected to reach the Supreme Court, testing the limits of executive power. The deportation deal involved financial incentives for El Salvador and included a controversial exchange of MS-13 gang leaders, further complicating international relations and raising alarm among U.S. law enforcement agencies.

The Trump administration deported over 200 Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador, invoking the Alien Enemies Act to expedite the process, despite significant concerns about their alleged gang affiliations. The use of this act marked the first time since World War II that it had been invoked by a U.S. president.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele agreed to accept the deportees under the condition that they were confirmed members of the Tren de Aragua gang; however, the U.S. struggled to provide adequate evidence to substantiate these claims, leading to questions about the deportations' validity.

The deportations were messy, with eight women mistakenly sent to an all-male prison and families left in the dark about their relatives' fates. The administration's application of the Alien Enemies Act bypassed the usual legal processes, prompting a legal challenge that could become a significant Supreme Court case.

The deportation deal included financial compensation for El Salvador and a controversial agreement to send MS-13 gang leaders back to the country, despite concerns from U.S. law enforcement about the Salvadoran government's alleged secret deals with the gang.

Criticism arose as the deportations were carried out hastily, often targeting Venezuelan men with tattoos, and included individuals like Neri José Alvarado, who had pending asylum cases and were not proven gang members. The strategy to deport these individuals involved using an 18th-century wartime law for swift removal, raising legal and ethical concerns.