The government knew it was illegal and did it anyway Why you ask?

Because they knew that it would take years(decades?) for a court to stop them. This is the M.O. of a corrupt government. They break the law and dare the slow toothless justice system to stop them.

The same thing happens with gun laws, the same is happening with Covid bullshit, the same thing happened with Japanese internment. It's not a glitch, it's a feature.