The US Supreme Court has blocked President Donald Trump’s effort to quickly resume deportations of Venezuelan migrants, dealing a fresh blow to his administration’s immigration agenda. The justices ruled against the use of a rarely invoked 1798 wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act , which the Trump administration sought to apply to alleged members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang . This law would have allowed the government to deport individuals without following the usual legal procedures.
The court’s decision came in a 7-2 vote on Friday, indefinitely halting the deportations from a detention centre in north Texas and sending the case back to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The justices ruled that detainees must be given more time to legally challenge their removal, finding that the administration’s notice period of roughly 24 hours was insufficient. The unsigned opinion stressed that the court was not deciding on the legality of using the Alien Enemies Act itself, only on the requirement for due process protections.
Trump responded immediately on his Truth Social platform, blasting the decision. He wrote, “THE SUPREME COURT WON'T ALLOW US TO GET CRIMINALS OUT OF OUR COUNTRY!” He criticised the ruling, saying it prevents the forced removal of “the worst murderers, drug dealers, gang members, and even those who are mentally insane, who came into our Country illegally.”
According to Trump, the court’s ruling “will let more CRIMINALS pour into our Country, doing great harm to our cherished American public” and will encourage “other criminals to illegally enter our Country, wreaking havoc and bedlam wherever they go.” He accused President Joe Biden of allowing “MILLIONS of Criminal Aliens” to enter without any legal process and lamented that his own administration is now bound by “a long and extended PROCESS” to deport them. Trump expressed appreciation for Justices Alito and Thomas, who dissented, thanking them for “attempting to protect our Country,” but called the ruling “a bad and dangerous day for America.”
The Supreme Court’s intervention follows a string of legal setbacks for the Trump administration’s efforts to accelerate deportations. The government has labelled members of the Tren de Aragua gang as foreign terrorists and has sought to deport them rapidly under the Alien Enemies Act, bypassing normal immigration procedures. However, several federal judges have pushed back, ruling that the administration’s use of the centuries-old law is improper.
The court emphasised that national security concerns must be balanced with constitutional protections, recognising “the necessity that such interests be pursued in a manner consistent with the Constitution.” The ruling makes clear that while the government can still pursue deportations, it must allow detainees reasonable time to contest their removal. This remains a complicated legal patchwork, with various courts issuing differing orders on how and when deportations under the law can proceed.
Justices Alito and Thomas dissented, with Alito sharply criticising the majority for intervening without awaiting further review from lower courts. Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed with the majority but expressed a preference for a quicker, definitive ruling from the Supreme Court rather than sending the case back to the appeals court.
This latest Supreme Court decision underscores the ongoing legal challenges the Trump administration faces as it tries to enforce its hardline immigration policies . Trump’s reaction on Truth Social highlights his frustration with what he sees as judicial obstacles preventing him from fulfilling his campaign promise to crack down on illegal immigration and criminal elements entering the United States.
The court’s decision came in a 7-2 vote on Friday, indefinitely halting the deportations from a detention centre in north Texas and sending the case back to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The justices ruled that detainees must be given more time to legally challenge their removal, finding that the administration’s notice period of roughly 24 hours was insufficient. The unsigned opinion stressed that the court was not deciding on the legality of using the Alien Enemies Act itself, only on the requirement for due process protections.
Trump responded immediately on his Truth Social platform, blasting the decision. He wrote, “THE SUPREME COURT WON'T ALLOW US TO GET CRIMINALS OUT OF OUR COUNTRY!” He criticised the ruling, saying it prevents the forced removal of “the worst murderers, drug dealers, gang members, and even those who are mentally insane, who came into our Country illegally.”
According to Trump, the court’s ruling “will let more CRIMINALS pour into our Country, doing great harm to our cherished American public” and will encourage “other criminals to illegally enter our Country, wreaking havoc and bedlam wherever they go.” He accused President Joe Biden of allowing “MILLIONS of Criminal Aliens” to enter without any legal process and lamented that his own administration is now bound by “a long and extended PROCESS” to deport them. Trump expressed appreciation for Justices Alito and Thomas, who dissented, thanking them for “attempting to protect our Country,” but called the ruling “a bad and dangerous day for America.”
The Supreme Court’s intervention follows a string of legal setbacks for the Trump administration’s efforts to accelerate deportations. The government has labelled members of the Tren de Aragua gang as foreign terrorists and has sought to deport them rapidly under the Alien Enemies Act, bypassing normal immigration procedures. However, several federal judges have pushed back, ruling that the administration’s use of the centuries-old law is improper.
The court emphasised that national security concerns must be balanced with constitutional protections, recognising “the necessity that such interests be pursued in a manner consistent with the Constitution.” The ruling makes clear that while the government can still pursue deportations, it must allow detainees reasonable time to contest their removal. This remains a complicated legal patchwork, with various courts issuing differing orders on how and when deportations under the law can proceed.
Justices Alito and Thomas dissented, with Alito sharply criticising the majority for intervening without awaiting further review from lower courts. Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed with the majority but expressed a preference for a quicker, definitive ruling from the Supreme Court rather than sending the case back to the appeals court.
This latest Supreme Court decision underscores the ongoing legal challenges the Trump administration faces as it tries to enforce its hardline immigration policies . Trump’s reaction on Truth Social highlights his frustration with what he sees as judicial obstacles preventing him from fulfilling his campaign promise to crack down on illegal immigration and criminal elements entering the United States.
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