From CNN, I'm Afoma D-K, with the five things you need to know for Monday, March 17th.

The president did the right thing I stand by you.

That's White House Borders are Tom Homan, defending controversial deportation fights that took place over the weekend.

An official says the U.S. deported about hundreds of mostly Venezuelan alleged gang members

to a prison in El Salvador Saturday under a wartime act.

That's despite a judge's order temporarily blocking the flights to consider the implications of using the rare 18th century law.

By the time the other order came, the plane was already over international waters with a plane

full of terrorists and significant public safety threats.

A hearing on the matter has been scheduled for later today.

CNN's senior legal analyst, Ellie Honig, weighs in.

The first point is that's what the judge ordered.

You don't get to decide whether you think it's a good or bad idea. The second point is they certainly could have decided to tell those planes to turn around.

I mean, we have advanced communications here.

Plains can be rerouted, but chose not to.

So I think it's a fig leaf.

I think it gives the administration something to say.

And I think it's a good thing that they're at least trying to

argue they did not openly defy the courts. This is all going to turn on the details.

Officials say the powerful storm system that raked through the central, southern, and eastern

United States this weekend left at least 42 people dead in eight states. The system triggered

violent tornadoes, wildfires,

and dust storms across the U.S., leaving a trail of destruction behind. Most of Alabama was severely

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