Nov. 26 (UPI) -- The federal government pointed to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as the high-ranking U.S. official who signed-off on the deportation of dozens alleged Venezuelan gang members to imprisonment in El Salvador.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem made the final call to go against a federal court order to transfer more than 100 Venezuelan men to the custody of Salvadoran officials to be imprisoned in their non-native country, according to new court filings by the U.S. Department of Justice.
"After receiving that legal advice, Secretary Noem directed that the AEA detainees who had been removed from the United States before the Court's order could be transferred to the custody of El Salvador," the Justice Department wrote.
In March, President Donald Trump signed an order invoking the Alien Enemies Act that allowed the alleged gang members to be removed from the United States.
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