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... A U.S. judge on Monday ordered Trump administration officials to explain whether they violated his order by deporting hundreds of Venezuelan gang members over the weekend, a move that could provoke a constitutional clash between the president and the federal judiciary.

The White House asserted on Sunday that federal courts "have no jurisdiction" over President Donald Trump's authority to expel foreign enemies under an 18th-century law historically used only in wartime.

Judge James Boasberg in Washington set a hearing for 5 p.m. ET (2000 GMT) on Monday and instructed the government to provide details on the timing of the flights that transported the Venezuelans to El Salvador, including whether they took off after his order was issued.

The hearing was scheduled in response to an overnight filing by the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups seeking clarity on the flights.

The rapid developments could signal an escalation in Trump's challenge to the U.S. Constitution's system of checks and balances and the independence of the judicial branch of government. ...

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