OAN Staff Gabriella Sable
1:41 PM – Monday, March 17, 2025
The recent deportation of more than 200 alleged gang members to El Salvador was a major topic of discussion during the White House press briefing on Monday. President Donald Trump signed an order last week reinstating the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which allows migrants to be deported without appearing before a judge.
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On Saturday, illegal aliens were deported to El Salvador under this act. A federal district judge had ordered the deportations to be delayed and the flights to be turned around, but according to the White House, the planes were already in international waters when the written order was issued. As a result, the deportations proceeded as planned.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that White House lawyers are examining the legal implications of verbal versus written orders, after being questioned about why the flights were not turned around after the verbal order, which came before the written order.
“There are actually questions about whether a verbal order carries the same weight as a written legal order,” Leavitt said. “And our lawyers are determined to ask and answer those questions in court.”
Leavitt explained that the individuals deported were identified as gang members through intelligence efforts and emphasized trust in Customs and Border Protection.
“I can assure the American people that CBP, ICE, and the Department of Homeland Security are confident in the identities of the individuals on these planes,” Leavitt stated. “They understand the threat these individuals pose to our homeland and take their mission incredibly seriously.”
“They are putting their lives on the line to deport these designated terrorists from our country,” Leavitt continued. “And they should be trusted to do that and that’s exactly what the American people elected this president to do.”
Reporters also questioned Leavitt about a recent video posted on the White House Instagram account that showed illegal aliens being deported while the song “Closing Time,” by Semisonic, played in the background. She defended the video, stating that it effectively conveyed the Trump administration’s immigration stance.
“We are unafraid to message effectively what the president is doing every day to make our communities safer,” Leavitt said. “I think the video sums up our immigration policy pretty well. You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”
Additionally, Leavitt responded to inquiries regarding Trump’s upcoming discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin about a potential resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war. Leavitt blamed the Biden administration’s leadership for the Russia-Ukraine War but asserted that Trump is committed to resolving the war.
“I think the previous administration is the reason this war began,” argued Leavitt. “As President Trump often says, this war would have never started if he were still in office. It only started because of the incompetence and the weakness of the previous administration.”
“I can say we are on the 10th-yard line of peace, and we’ve never been closer to a peace deal than we are in this moment,” Leavitt added. “And the President, as you know is determined to get one done.”
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