WASHINGTON — A federal judge examining the Trump administration’s use of an 18th-century wartime law to deport Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador vowed Friday to “get to the bottom” of whether the government defied his order to turn the planes around.

Chief Judge James Boasberg is trying to determine if the administration ignored his turnaround order last weekend.

“I will get to the bottom of whether they violated my order, who ordered this and what the consequences will be,” Boasberg said during a hearing for a lawsuit challenging the deportations.

Earlier Friday, the Justice Department informed the judge that top leaders in President Donald Trump’s administration are debating whether to invoke a “state secrets privilege” in response to the district judge’s questions about the deportation flights.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a court filing that there are “ongoing Cabinet-level discussions” about Boasberg’s demand for more information.

— The Associated Press