A contentious hearing on Monday evening between a federal judge, James Boasberg, and the Department of Justice marks a new crescendo in the escalating conflict between the Trump administration and the federal judiciary that could soon mature into a constitutional crisis.

The deportation of some 250  alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador from Texas via a series of three airplane flights and under the aegis of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798  was the subject of the conference. When Judge Boasberg asked how many planes had taken off after he ordered the process frozen, the government responded that “those are operational issues and I am not at liberty to provide information.”