HOUSTON -- A legal loophole could help dangerous criminals hide in Houston. KPRC Local 2 uncovered the problem on a recent trip to the border. It can tie the hands of the Border Patrol as they deal with the MS-13 gang.

The roots of the MS-13 gang are grounded in El Salvador. That's why the Department of Justice is fighting to overturn a nearly 30-year-old court ruling that prohibits the U.S. from detaining and immediately deporting people from that country.

In cases of illegal immigrants from other countries, including Mexico, our government has what's called expedited removal, which allows the U.S. to detain and deport illegal immigrants without sending them before an immigration judge. It speeds up the process.

But the law requires that El Salvadorans be granted a hearing before a judge. The government simply does not have enough jail space to hold all of these people before their court date.