US politics live: Frenzy as Donald Trump deports ‘gangsters’

The White House has denied it defied a judge’s order to halt deportations of more than 200 Venezuelan “terrorist aliens” under a historic act.

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The White House has denied it went against a judge’s order to halt deportations of more than 200 Venezuelans under the 18th century Alien Enemies Act.

A judge ruled on Saturday night local time that deportations under the order must be paused, and that any planes in the air carrying migrants must turn back to the US.

Less than 24 hours later, however, hundreds of accused members of a Venezuelan gang were loaded onto a plane to El Salvador, where they will be imprisoned in the country’s maximum security Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).

“The Administration did not ‘refuse to comply’ with a court order,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

“The order, which had no lawful basis, was issued after terrorist aliens had already been removed from the US territory.”

Meanwhile, Prince Harry’s immigration files will be made public within days.

As part of an ongoing freedom of information request brought by conservative American think tank, the Heritage Foundation, documents relating to the Duke of Sussex’s US visa application must be released by Wednesday, Judge Carl Nichols has ruled.

The Heritage Foundation, based in Washington DC, has alleged Prince Harry may have concealed past illegal drug use – referenced in his autobiography, Spare – that should have disqualified him from obtaining a visa.

Read on for more updates

Originally published as US politics live: Frenzy as Donald Trump deports ‘gangsters’