What a time to be alive.
Donald Trump made immigration reform and border security a central focus of his 2024 presidential campaign, and he’s kept his word during the first two months of his second term.
Over the weekend, there was a showdown between the Trump administration and his opponents when the president invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which allows the federal government to deport enemies without a hearing, to remove members of Tren de Aragua after declaring the gang a terrorist organization.
According to the proclamation, Venezuelan citizens who are members of the gang, are within the United States and are not naturalized or lawful permanent residents may face deportation as “alien enemies.” But as soon as Trump’s order was made public, opponents immediately brought a legal challenge seeking to stop the deportations.
A hearing was held on Saturday in front of U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of Washington D.C., who issued a temporary restraining order and ordered the Trump administration to halt the deportations. The only problem was, the first two planes were already in the air and headed to El Salvador, which has agreed to take illegal immigrants who are deported from the United States regardless of their nationality.
Despite the judge’s order that the planes turn around and return to the United States, they continued on to El Salvador and dropped the first load of 261 illegal immigrants.
The Trump administration says that 137 were removed under the Alien Enemies Act, while the rest were removed using other legal procedures. But obviously critics were upset at the Trump administration, accusing them of defying the court’s order to turn the planes around.
For their part, the president maintains that the planes were already over international waters when the court’s order was issued, so the judge’s ruling had no effect on the planes that had already been sent. And after they arrived, President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele posted a video showing the gang members being led off the planes by guards:
Today, the first 238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization, Tren de Aragua, arrived in our country. They were immediately transferred to CECOT, the Terrorism Confinement Center, for a period of one year (renewable).
The United States will pay a very low fee for them,… pic.twitter.com/tfsi8cgpD6
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) March 16, 2025
A hearing is scheduled today on the challenge to the president’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport violent foreign gang members. But in the meantime, the Trump administration is continuing to tout the president’s success on securing our border and deporting illegal immigrants – and trolling his critics in the process.
This morning, the White House posted a video on their official social media accounts showing the deportation of illegal immigrants set to “Closing Time,” the 1998 hit from Semisonic.
If you’re wondering why they chose that song…well, the lyrics make it pretty clear:
“Closing time, you don’t have to go home
But you can’t stay here
I know who I want to take me home”
Just some masterful trolling from the White House.
You don't have to go home but you can't stay here
@CBP pic.twitter.com/yWWhlvKQrb
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 17, 2025
You don't have to go home but you can't stay hereOf course not everybody appreciated the trolling:
Wtf is this shit man https://t.co/opeiwUtHFB
— DarkElegance ࿗ (@EleganceDark2) March 17, 2025
Again, what in the actual fuck is wrong with you. Delete your account https://t.co/LWhBHs70HQ
— Jennifer Forbush (@JenniferForbush) March 17, 2025
I hope whoever runs this account dies painfully https://t.co/UAPeAnlvcN
— Rob..
(@rob_cast93) March 17, 2025
(@rob_cast93) no taste or class, absolutely fried nation https://t.co/6MzPvE8TcS
— chimpfone (@chimpfone2047) March 17, 2025
But it seems like the vast majority of the comments were from folks who love seeing violent illegal immigrants and foreign gang members removed from our country:
Troll level, 1,000. https://t.co/lHEVK4mbW8
— Dr Manhattva (@Manhattva) March 17, 2025
I have never been happier in my life to pay taxes https://t.co/lNHVScfJap
— Jim Hanson (@JimHansonDC) March 17, 2025
Funniest White House of all time https://t.co/Yx04ERKMTE
— Alec Sears (@alec_sears) March 17, 2025
This is what I voted for.
https://t.co/uPBAqQqw7q
— Bob Winkelman (@manhattanmaker) March 17, 2025
yeah… i’m thinking we’re back https://t.co/v2Bba5WKEK
— Logan Hall (@loganclarkhall) March 17, 2025
It’s definitely a shift from the cringeworthy content we got from the last White House. And I can’t get enough of it.
The post “Troll Level 1,000” – White House Shares Video Of Illegal Gang Members Being Deported Set To Semisonic’s “Closing Time” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.