Trump justifies summary expulsions — and the detention of people in El Salvador — by insisting that he is cracking down on violent Venezuelan criminal gangs now classified by the US government as terrorists.

But the policy is fueling opposition concerns that the Republican is ignoring the US constitution in a broader bid to amass power. On Saturday the government filed a motion with the Supreme Court arguing that it should not be prevented from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport people it says are terrorists.

The government also asserted that even if it is blocked, the court should state that such deportations can go ahead using other laws.

Trump has sent troops to the Mexican border, imposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada for allegedly not doing enough to stop illegal crossings, and designated gangs like Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as terrorist groups. A right-wing influencer who meets often with Trump, Laura Loomer, said Saturday that the president was “gracious” for flying out people who entered the country illegally, rather than having them “shot to death” at the border.

Even after a court ruled that the Trump administration must facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return, Trump has doubled down and insisted he is a gang member — including posting an apparently doctored photo on social media Friday that showed MS-13 on his knuckles.

As court challenges pile up, the president and his allies have repeatedly attacked what they call “activist” judges.

Another right-wing influencer with a large social media following, Jesse Kelly, responded to the overnight order freezing deportations by posting: Ignore the Supreme Court.

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