The United States is witnessing a heated legal battle between the executive and the judiciary over the deportation of illegal immigrants. The Trump administration has invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to justify mass deportations, including that of Indian nationals.
Leading the legal defence is Abhishek Kambli, an India-born lawyer and a senior official at the Department of Justice.
Kambli, who serves as Deputy Associate Attorney General, has taken centre stage in defending the administration’s use of the centuries-old law.
The Act grants the U.S. President sweeping powers to detain, relocate, or deport non-citizens deemed as threats. However, the judiciary has challenged its application, with a key legal battle playing out in federal court.
The deportations have already begun, with four special flights carrying Indian nationals back to their home country. Among the thousands removed from the U.S., around 400 were Indian immigrants.
Despite opposition from rights groups and legal challenges, the Trump administration has remained firm on its stance.
Kambli is arguing against Judge James Boasberg, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, who issued a stay on the deportations. The judge found Kambli’s argument—that flights already in international airspace could not be recalled—unconvincing. Trump has responded by criticising the judge as an “unelected troublemaker and agitator.”
The case gained further prominence after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged the deportations. The group filed a petition on 15 March, just an hour after Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act to expel five Venezuelan migrants, who were later flown to El Salvador.
Who Is Abhishek Kambli?
Born in India, Kambli moved to the U.S. at the age of three and grew up in Connecticut. His upbringing was modest, with his father running a gas station and his mother working in bank administration.
Initially drawn to the entertainment industry, Kambli later pursued law at Notre Dame, following his father’s advice. Upon graduation, he joined the U.S. military as a Judge Advocate General, where he handled both prosecution and defence cases.
His experience in the military helped shape his legal career, but frequent relocations led him to leave and settle in Indianapolis as a federal prosecutor.
Kambli has spoken about his concerns over the country’s direction, saying that he wanted to play a role in shaping its future. His legal career saw steady growth, leading to his appointment as Deputy Associate Attorney General. Now, he finds himself at the centre of a major legal and political dispute.
Defending the Alien Enemies Act
Kambli's courtroom defence has focused on procedural arguments. In response to Judge Boasberg’s order to halt deportation flights, he argued that the court lost jurisdiction the moment the planes left U.S. airspace.
He also contended that the judge’s oral directive was not legally binding since it was not included in a written order.
When the judge questioned whether the flights could have returned to the U.S., Kambli maintained that the administration had not considered such an approach.
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