DOJ Deadline Passes for El Salvador Deportation Flight Information

Judge's Inquiry into Deportation Flights

• ⚖️ A federal judge's deadline for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide information regarding deportation flights to El Salvador has passed.
• ❓ The judge is seeking specific details about these flights, including departure and landing times, and whether planes were in the air when an order against deportations was issued.
• ✈️ Two planes reportedly departed for El Salvador, despite a judge's order to halt deportations under the alien enemy act and to turn back any planes already in the air.

DOJ's Resistance and State Secret Privilege

• 🚫 The DOJ has been reluctant to provide the requested information, leading to delays.
• 🔒 They have considered invoking the state secret privilege, citing concerns over foreign relations and national security.
• 📱 However, the judge noted the White House's public social media posts detailing these flights, questioning the need for secrecy.

Appeals Court Hearing and Plaintiff Concerns

• 📈 An appeals court is scheduled to hear the case, where the DOJ seeks to lift the ban on deportations.
• 🏛️ The DOJ argues that the judicial branch has no authority in this matter, asserting it falls under the president's executive authority.
• ⚠️ Plaintiffs express concern that if this obscure provision is used for deportations, it could set a precedent where no one is safe from such actions.