National Guard troops in California during anti-immigration protests|U.S. Northern Command|X
A federal appeals court on Tuesday blocked President Donald Trump from using the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act to deport a group of Venezuelan migrants.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 ruling, rejected the administration’s claim that the migrants’ arrival amounted to an “invasion.”
The Trump team argued the group included members of Tren de Aragua, a violent Venezuelan gang, but the court said the law applies only during wartime against hostile foreign powers.
The ACLU, which brought the case, hailed the decision as a major win for the rule of law.
The dispute now appears headed back to the Supreme Court, setting up a critical test of Trump’s power to invoke wartime authority in immigration cases.
His massive deportations had led to several anti-immigration protests around the country.