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Trump's clash with the courts over deportation is stoking fears of a 'constitutional crisis.' But what does that even mean?

Ever since President Trump returned to the Oval Office in January, he has sought to stretch the limits of presidential power. He has challenged the 14th Amendment with an executive order. He has blocked payments approved by Congress. Through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), he has fired civil servants and dismantled America’s top foreign-aid agency.

And now, in what could be his most controversial (and consequential) move so far, Trump has invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 — a wartime law that hasn't been used since World War II — to deport more than 200 Venezuelan migrants without immigration hearings.

In response, critics have accused the president of creating a “constitutional crisis.”

Are they overreacting? Or could Trump's actions really push America into uncharted territory? Here’s everything you need to know to understand the current power struggle — and where it might lead next.

What is a ‘constitutional crisis’?

There is no universally accepted definition of a constitutional “crisis”; what differentiates a crisis from, say, a dispute is inevitably in the eye of the beholder.

But broadly speaking, a constitutional crisis can arise when one part of the government clashes with another part of the government to such a dramatic degree that the country’s foundational legal document — i.e., its constitution —