"U.S. Gave Better Treatment to Nazis Than Deported Venezuelan Migrants"

A U.S. appeals court judge stated Monday that Nazis received "better treatment" during World War II than the hundreds of Venezuelans deported this month over alleged gang ties.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit reviewed the Trump administration's use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport 238 Venezuelans to a mega-prison in El Salvador.

During a tense two-hour hearing, Judge Patricia Millett questioned the government's application of the law, which left the deportees without a way to challenge the allegations."There were planeloads of people," Millett said. "Nazis got better treatment under the Alien Enemies Act than has happened here."Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Deportation of Venezuelan MigrantsEarlier on Monday, a federal judge refused to lift a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from deporting Venezuelan migrants under wartime powers.Judge James Boasberg ruled that many of those deported dispute their alleged gang affiliations and must be allowed to challenge their removal.

On March 15, Trump declared that members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were "conducting irregular warfare" against the U.S., justifying their deportation under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.However, later that evening, Judge Boasberg issued a 14-day halt to deportations under the proclamation and verbally ordered the government to turn flights around. 

The White House insisted it was too late, claiming the planes were already in international airspace.During Monday’s hearing, government lawyers sought to overturn Boasberg's restraining order.Government attorney Drew Ensign called the ruling "utterly unprecedented" and argued that it intruded on the president's foreign policy powers. He also rejected U.S. Circuit Judge Patricia Millett’s earlier comparison to the treatment of Nazis.

This led to a tense exchange between Ensign and Millett, who countered, "Of course there's no precedent, because no president has ever used this." She added, "Y'all could've picked me up on Saturday and thrown me on a plane thinking I'm a member of Tren de Aragua and given me no chance to protest it."

Millett, an Obama appointee, claimed the administration failed to properly verify whether the deported Venezuelans were actually gang members.Later, border czar Tom Homan dismissed Millett’s Nazi-related remarks as "disgusting," according to CBS. Meanwhile, U.S. Circuit Judge Justin Walker, a Trump appointee, appeared less skeptical of the administration’s arguments. The three-judge panel has not yet ruled on the issue.

The Trump administration insists the deported men were "carefully vetted" and confirmed as gang members before being flown to El Salvador. However, some of their families have challenged this, and U.S. officials have admitted that "many" of the men had no U.S. criminal record.

Before Monday's hearing, Judge Boasberg reiterated that because the plaintiffs dispute their alleged gang ties, they cannot be deported until a court rules on their challenge. He also noted that the administration remains free to deport Venezuelans through the regular immigration process.

The deportations have heightened tensions between the White House and Judge Boasberg, who on Friday criticized the government’s attorneys for their conduct in court.

"I will get to the bottom of whether they violated my order, who ordered this, and what the consequences will be," he said.

Trump has since called Boasberg a "constitutional disaster" who "doesn't mind if criminals come into our country."

The Alien Enemies Act gives the president broad authority to deport individuals from an "enemy" nation. However, human rights groups have condemned the administration’s actions as illegal, arguing that the U.S. is not at war with Venezuela.

Speaking on Fox News, Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the move, stating, "It's modern-day warfare, and we are going to continue to fight that and protect American citizens every single step of the way."