"The country is edging dangerously close to a constitutional crisis," Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) warned during an April 21 appearance on CNN's "State of the Union".

She accused President Donald Trump of trying to "pull us down into the sewer of a crisis," referencing the administration's refusal to comply with a Supreme Court order concerning the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Ábrego Garcia, a Maryland resident mistakenly deported to El Salvador.  

The situation has stirred bipartisan pushback, legal scrutiny, and concerns over executive power, especially in how federal agencies respond to judicial orders.

Don't Miss:

Courts, Congress, And A Constitutional Tug-of-War

Klobuchar called on the courts to consider holding involved officials in contempt and suggested the appointment of a special prosecutor, to determine who authorized or failed to reverse García's deportation. The administration argued that diplomatic constraints limit their ability to retrieve him.

Hours before Klobuchar's comments, the Supreme Court temporarily halted the deportation of Venezuelan migrants detained at the Bluebonnet Detention Center in North Texas. 

The Trump administration had moved to deport the group under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, citing suspected ties to the Tren de Aragua gang. The American Civil Liberties Union filed an emergency appeal, arguing that migrants were being removed without due process.

The Supreme Court agreed to block the deportations until further order, citing concerns over the lack of legal review for those targeted under the centuries-old law.

Trending: The average American couple has saved this much money for retirement — How do you compare?

Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas rejected the majority's ruling. In his dissent, Alito criticized the seven-justice majority for acting "literally in the middle of the night." He claimed the order was issued without input from lower courts or responses from the federal government.

Alito argued that the emergency ruling had "dubious factual support," and lacked a clear legal foundation. In his view, the applicants did not demonstrate they were in "imminent danger of removal." 

The Supreme Court on April ruled that officials must facilitate García's return, which has yet to be honored. García remains in El Salvador, where he was previously detained at CECOT, one of the region's largest detention centers.

See Also: If You're Age 35, 50, or 60: Here’s How Much You Should Have Saved Vs. Invested By Now

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) visited El Salvador on April 17 to meet with García. Although he was initially denied access, Van Hollen was eventually able to meet with García at a hotel in San Salvador before returning to the U.S.

Subsequently, on April 21, a delegation of four House Democrats—Reps. Robert Garcia (D-CA), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), and Maxine Dexter (D-OR)—visited San Salvador to advocate for García's return.

Meanwhile, the States United Democracy Center warned that the Trump administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act without congressional oversight raises new constitutional questions about separation of powers in peacetime deportations.

Read Next:

Image: Shutterstock