US Supreme Court Blocks Trump-Era Deportation of Venezuelans Under Wartime Law
In a dramatic legal development, the United States Supreme Court has issued an order halting the Trump administration’s efforts to deport Venezuelan detainees under a centuries-old wartime statute. The ruling comes after a legal challenge mounted by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which argued that the deportations violated due process.
The government had planned to deport several suspected members of Tren de Aragua (TdA), a notorious Venezuelan gang, citing the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a rarely used law allowing wartime deportations of foreign nationals. Former President Donald Trump had invoked the act earlier this year, accusing the gang of “perpetrating, attempting, and threatening an invasion or predatory incursion” on U.S. soil.
However, in a rare weekend order, the Supreme Court directed the U.S. government to “not remove any member of the putative class of detainees from the United States until further order of this Court.”
ACLU Steps In
The ACLU filed suit after reports emerged that dozens of Venezuelans were being held in a detention center in north Texas, with expedited deportations expected. The group argued that the Trump administration was weaponizing a law written in the 18th century to carry out a mass removal without appropriate judicial oversight.
Judicial Division
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the court’s majority ruling, signaling a divide within the high court over the interpretation and modern application of the Alien Enemies Act.
Legal experts say the Supreme Court’s decision marks a significant pause on the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration stance and sets up a potential legal showdown over the use of historical statutes in modern immigration enforcement.
International Implications
The case has drawn international attention, especially from human rights organizations and the Venezuelan diaspora, who argue that many migrants targeted under the act are fleeing political persecution and economic collapse, not seeking to commit crimes.
As the legal battle unfolds, the future of those detained remains uncertain. For now, their deportations are on hold, pending a further ruling from the highest court in the land.
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US Supreme Court Blocks Trump-Era Deportation of Venezuelans Under Wartime Law