The Trump administration says the group should be treated as an invading force. Critics say it’s a pretext for the administration’s anti-immigrant narrative.

Trump labeled the Tren de Aragua an invading force when he invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 authority that allows the president to deport any noncitizen during wartime.

Tren de Aragua, a gang born out of a Venezuelan prison, is a loose network that doesn’t operate like groups typically considered terrorist organizations.

The Trump administration responded Tuesday to a judge’s questions about whether it defied a court order, saying it did not and that it used more than just the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members.

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.