In a tense hearing, a federal judge pressed a Justice Department lawyer on Monday (Mar 17) over why the Trump administration did not comply with his order to temporarily halt deportations under an 18th-century law - The Alien Enemies Act, which was last used in World War II to intern tens of thousands of Japanese-Americans. 

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The hearing was on whether or not the White House had deliberately ignored his orders by flying more than 200 people to El Salvador, where the Trump administration is paying the authorities to imprison the deportees.

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The judge also asked why key information about the flights over the weekend was being withheld. 

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US District Judge James Boasberg called Donald Trump's administration's position on his court order Saturday as "we don't care, we'll do what we want". 

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Abhishek Kambli, who is the Justice Department attorney, further said that the administration had complied with the judge's written order, which came hours after Boasberg's oral ruling at an emergency hearing Saturday. 

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Kambli also argued that the written ruling took precedence over the one issued from the bench. He added, "We believe that we've complied with the order." 

In response, Boasberg said, "You're saying that you felt that you could disregard it because it wasn't a written order."

He also said that an order is an order, and called the Justice Department's argument a "stretch".

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The showdown happened after US President Donald Trump ordered the expulsion of alleged members of a Venezuelan gang under a little-used, centuries-old wartime legislation.

Trump also claimed he had annulled pardons issued by Joe Biden on the grounds that his Democratic predecessor supposedly used an autopen for his signature. 

A crackdown on undocumented migration was Trump's promise during his 2024 election campaign. The president has repeatedly called out the number of crimes by migrants that is at odds with official figures. 

Boasberg asked more questions about the flight details, but Kambli refused to provide any details, saying, "I am only authorized to say what we have said" in the court filings because of national security concerns. 

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'Administration acted within confines of law' 

The White House defended the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelan gang members over the weekend, saying the move was done within the confines of the law despite a judge's order. 

"This administration acted within the confines of the law," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

(With inputs from agencies)