☕ Trump uses wartime deportation law

Good morning!

It’s shaping up to be a critical week in the future of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as talks seem to be progressing on the news that President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will have a phone call on Tuesday to discuss “land and power plants”. We’ll be with you every step of the way.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• The US launched large-scale attacks across Yemen over the weekend, in retaliation for hundreds of Houthi attacks on military and commercial ships over the past two years. The Houthi’s, a terrorist group that controls parts of Yemen, reported 101 dead and 30 injured from the strikes. The Red Sea, a key shipping route via the Suez Canal, has been heavily disrupted by Houthi actions, which the group say were carried out in support of Hamas’ operations in Gaza. US authorities warned strikes could continue for weeks, and told Iran to stop supporting the Houthis or face being held accountable.

• President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to dismantle the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees outlets like Voice of America, Radio Asia, and Radio Europe. Trump accuses USAGM of being partisan and anti-Trump. Most Voice of America staff have been placed on administrative leave, with the program’s head saying, “VOA promotes freedom and democracy around the world by providing objective and balanced news and information.” The executive order will likely be challenged in the court system, as USAGM was created by a law passed by congress.

• Authorities in North Macedonia have detained at least 15 people following a fire at a nightclub that killed dozens of people. The blaze broke out during a concert at a nightclub in Kočani, about 100km east of the capital city Skopje. The fire broke out around 3am. It is believed to have been started by sparks from pyrotechnics hitting the ceiling. Around 59 people are believed dead, while at least 155 others were injured while attempting to escape through the building’s only exit. Early investigations have revealed the club’s licence may have been falsified, wrongly issued, or the result of bribery.

• A U.S. man has been awarded $50 million in damages from café chain Starbucks, after he was severely burned by a cup of tea. In February 2020, a worker at a Starbucks drive-through in California failed to secure a cup of tea in its takeaway tray, which caused it to tip into delivery driver Michael Garcia’s lap. Garcia sustained third-degree burns to his thighs, groin, and genitals, causing “permanent disfigurement”.

I’ve got 1 minute

At least 39 people have been killed in wide-ranging storms across the country’s south and midwest.

The storms brought tornadoes, wildfires, and dust clouds, damaging properties and killing people across multiple states over the weekend.

The National Guard has been deployed to Arkansas, as more severe weather is expected.

Tornadoes

Tornadoes swept through Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas, and Alabama, with winds strong enough to destroy schools and flip trucks. The states have recorded death tolls ranging from three to at least a dozen people.

Wildfires

More than 100 wildfires spread by strong winds in Oklahoma have killed four people and destroyed hundreds of homes. Officials in both Oklahoma and Texas warn storm winds will fan wildfires, threatening lives and property for the coming week.

Dust storms

High winds sweeping across Texas brought dust storms to neighbouring states, including Kansas. On Saturday, poor visibility caused a 71 car pile-up on the I-70, killing eight and injuring many others.

Three people were also killed in similar circumstances in Amarillo, Texas.

The storms are making their way east, and are expected to blow out over the ocean later today.

I’ve got 2 minutes

President Trump is using the centuries-old Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals he claims are linked to the violent Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang.

Though a court paused deportations under this law, a plane carrying 238 Venezuelan migrants landed in El Salvador on Sunday, as the administration suspended some gang prosecutions to enable the move.

Trump, who promised the largest mass deportation in US history in the lead-up to last November’s presidential election, is bypassing traditional immigration laws. The Alien Enemies Act strips deportees of court hearings and asylum reviews, expediting deportations but suspending civil liberties - a necessary measure in periods of war or invasion.

Tren de Aragua

Tren de Aragua, a violent Venezuelan prison gang formed in 2014, has grown into a transnational crime network involved in drug and sex trafficking. Active in the US, where over 700,000 Venezuelan migrants live, the gang is suspected of killing two policemen in New York and a former Venezuelan officer in Florida.

Alien Enemies Act

The Alien Enemies Act, created in 1798 as the US faced war with France, allows the president to detain or deport nationals from enemy countries.

It’s only been used three times — during the War of 1812, WWI, and WWII. In WWII, 31,000 immigrants from Germany, Japan, and Italy, including children, were imprisoned.

Until now, it hadn’t been used since WWII, as it requires a formal war declaration by Congress to activate its powers, or for the country in question to be making an active incursion into America.

Wait, are we are war?

No - only Congress can declare a state of war. However, laying the foundation for use of the power, President Trump proclaimed on Saturday that TdA were "conducting irregular warfare" in the United States, and because of the weakness of the Venezuelan Government, were effectively the governing party of their country.

What happened?

On Saturday, President Trump announced he had invoked the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, which will reportedly receive $6 million to accept US deportees.

Those accused of crimes will likely be held in CECOT, El Salvador’s massive prison built during its harsh 2022 crime crackdown.

Just hours later, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a legal challenge. Judge Boasberg, who heard the challenge, issued a 14-day pause on deportations under the Act. Still, a plane carrying 238 Venezuelans landed in El Salvador Sunday, with White House officials claiming the order couldn't be followed because the plane was already outside US territory.

El Salvadorian President Bukele mocking the ruling, posting, “Oopsie… too late.”

Concerns raised…

Critics have raised concerns over the use of the power and the suspension of civil liberties it enables, saying the criteria for its use, namely a declaration of war, have not been properly met.

Further questions have been raised over the timing of the deportations to El Salvador - with some questioning if Trump administration officials actively ignored a court order restricting the powers of the President.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt released a statement yesterday directly addressing this speculation about whether the administration was deliberately defying a court order, telling Fox News “The administration did not ‘refuse to comply’ with a court order. The order, which had no lawful basis, was issued after terrorist TdA aliens had already been removed from U.S. territory.”