Supreme Court Blocks Deportation Plans

Washington: On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court halted the Trump administration’s attempt to deport members of Venezuelan gangs using outdated wartime laws, sidestepping standard procedures.

The court’s 7-2 ruling highlights Trump’s efforts to apply the Alien Enemy Act (AEA) from 1798 against Tren de Aragua gang members, which would allow him to bypass the usual evidence required for deportation.

Initially, the Supreme Court intervened on April 19, preventing the expedited deportation of undocumented Venezuelan immigrants to prisons in El Salvador.

Trump first leveraged the AEA to deport a group from Tren de Aragua back in March.

In an unsigned ruling on Friday, the court barred plans to deport another batch of detainees in Texas, pointing out that they weren’t allowed sufficient time to contest their removal legally.

“It’s important to note that about 24 hours prior to removal, there wasn’t any guidance on how to exercise the rights due in such procedures,” the court remarked.

They clarified that they haven’t yet determined if Trump can indeed use the AEA to deport undocumented immigrants.

“To be clear, we only decide today that detainees deserve more notice than they were given,” the court stated.

“We spoke to the core merits of the legal arguments regarding the AEA and deportation on April 19th.”

Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented.