Trump administration has once again deported migrants in chains and shackles defying court orders and invoking wartime law. This move has drawn widespread criticism. Among the 261 deported migrants, 238 were Venezuelan nationals with the remaining individuals identified as active members of the MS-13 gang – AP news report.

Authorities accused deported migrants of links to criminal activities such as murder kidnapping and extortion. Despite objections individuals were sent to a high-security prison in El Salvador instead of returning to their home countries.

U.S. government reportedly signed a million deal with El Salvador to detain up to 300 gang members in the country’s prison system.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the move comparing it to Nazi-era detention practices. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also criticized the administration’s use of wartime laws to deport individuals calling it a dangerous precedent.

President Trump defended the decision stating that the deportation program would continue. He blamed former President Joe Biden for allowing criminals into the country and described situation as an “invasion” more dangerous than traditional warfare.

Read more: UK Parliament Debates Immigration Suspension Proposal

US court had blocked Trump’s use of wartime laws for migrant deportations. But this latest action bypassed that ruling fueling further controversy.