Dhaka, March 17 -- The Trump administration deported hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador, even as a federal judge issued an order temporarily blocking their removal under a rarely invoked wartime law, officials confirmed Sunday. The deportation flights were already in the air when the ruling was issued.

U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg issued an order on Saturday to pause the deportations. However, lawyers informed him that two planes carrying immigrants had already departed-one bound for El Salvador and another for Honduras. Though Boasberg verbally instructed authorities to turn the flights around, the directive was not included in his written order, and the deportations proceeded.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt d...