Washington, Mar 17 (AP) President Donald Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt hosted a news conference Monday.

Over the weekend, the Trump administration transferred more than 200 immigrants to El Salvador even as a federal judge issued an order to bar the deportations temporarily.

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On Saturday night, District Judge James E. Boasberg ordered the administration not to deport anyone in its custody over the newly invoked Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century declaration that has only been used three times in US history, all during periods of war.

Trump issued a proclamation that the 1798 law was newly in effect due to what he claimed was an “invasion” by the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. Flights were in the air at the time of the ruling.

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On Monday, plaintiffs filed a lawsuit to halt the deportations and asked a federal judge to force officials to explain under oath whether they violated his court order.

Here's the latest:

White House says peace deal close as Trump prepares for Putin call

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wouldn't get into details about Tuesday's scheduled call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But she sounded optimistic that the talks can help push Russia closer to a deal to end it's three-year war in Ukraine.

“I won't get ahead of those negotiations, but I can say we are on the 10th yard line of peace,” Leavitt told reporters Monday. “And we've never been closer to a peace deal than we are in this moment. And the president, as you know, is determined to get one done.”

White House press secretary: Administration didn't violate court order in deportations

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday again said the Trump administration did not violate a court order when it deported more than 200 immigrants to El Salvador even as a federal judge ordered the deportations to be temporarily stopped.

“All of the planes that were subject to the written order of this judge departed US soil, US territory, before the judge's written order,” Leavitt said at a news briefing.

Leavitt said there are questions about whether the judge's verbal order “carries the same weight as a legal order, as a written order.” (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)