Administration officials said they expect the fight over using the wartime act to ultimately head to the Supreme Court.

Trump officials said the deportations don’t violate a judge’s order barring use of the Alien Enemies Act for removals -- but also questioned the order’s validity.

A U.S. federal judge asked the Trump administration to explain how it failed to act on its court order to halt the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelan migrants, including alleged gang members, escalating the confrontation between the President and the federal judiciary.