Washington, D.C.: The White House on Monday rejected a French politician's request to return the Statue of Liberty. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt remarked, "It is solely due to the United States of America that the French are not speaking German today."
"My suggestion to that unnamed low-ranking French politician is to remember that it is only because of the United States that they are not speaking German right now. They should express their gratitude to our great nation," Leavitt added.
In relation to the ongoing dispute between the White House and the U.S. judiciary regarding the deportation of Venezuelan gang members from Tren de Aragua to El Salvador under the Aliens Enemies Act, Leavitt stated, "We are fully confident that we will prevail in this case in court."
"This Administration has acted within the legal framework, exercising the president's constitutional authority and the powers granted under the Alien Enemies Act. We are entirely confident that we will win this case in court," Leavitt emphasized.
On Sunday, the U.S. deported hundreds of Venezuelan gang members after Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which provides the government with emergency war powers.
However, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a verbal order for the administration to pause deportations for 14 days, questioning the government's authority to invoke the act. He also instructed that any planes currently transporting deportees be redirected back to the U.S.
Despite this situation, flights to El Salvador proceeded as planned, with the White House contending that the aircraft had already departed U.S. territory prior to the issuance of the judge's written order.
"All planes affected by the judge's written order left U.S. soil before the order was issued," stated Karoline Leavitt.
"There are uncertainties regarding whether a verbal order holds the same authority as a written one, and our legal team is committed to exploring and resolving these issues in court," she continued.
As reported by The Hill, Judge Boasberg has arranged a hearing for Monday evening (local time) to assess whether the administration violated his order.
In the meantime, the Trump administration has filed an appeal against Boasberg's ruling, and the case may be expedited to the Supreme Court.
