Trump Officials Defend Use of Wartime Law to Deport Migrants

Trump administration officials on Sunday defended their use of extraordinary war powers to deport scores of Venezuelan migrants despite a judge blocking the move and Venezuela denying U.S. officials' assertions that the deportees were gang members.

It's modern-day warfare, and we are going to continue to fight that and protect American citizens every single step of the way," Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on the "Sunday Morning Futures" program.

Bondi said the Trump administration's decision to deport 137 Venezuelan migrants last weekend to El Salvador was justified because they were members of Venezuela's feared Tren de Aragua gang and posed a safety risk.

Venezuela's interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, said on Friday, however, that none of the Venezuelans deported by the U.S. to El Salvador were members of the gang, which Washington has declared a terrorist group. Relatives and immigration advocates for some of the men have also denied any links.

The administration used the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law, to deport the migrants on the grounds that they were committing violent crimes and sending money back to Venezuela.