On Saturday, a U.S. federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s plan to deport Venezuelan nationals. The ruling prevents Trump from using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a 227-year-old wartime law, to carry out these deportations or 14 days. Trump’s proclamation specifically targeted members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
On Saturday, Trump labeled Tren de Aragua a threat, accusing it of “irregular warfare” against the US. He aimed to deport gang members under the Alien Enemies Act. This law lets the president remove foreign nationals seen as security risks during wartime, skipping normal immigration rules. However, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other groups sued. They argued the law doesn’t apply in peacetime or against Venezuela, a nation not at war with the US.
BREAKING – Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg has blocked President Trump’s plans to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport Venezuelan nationals.
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) March 15, 2025US District Judge James Boasberg sided with the plaintiffs. He issued a temporary restraining order, citing the law’s rare use—mostly during World War I and II. For example, it enabled the internment of Japanese Americans. Critics fear Trump’s move could repeat such abuses, bypassing due process. The judge noted that terms like “invasion” in the law refer to war, not gang activity. Since no war exists with Venezuela, the act likely doesn’t apply.
Trump’s order focused on Venezuelan nationals tied to Tren de Aragua. This gang, with thousands of members, runs drug trafficking, human trafficking, and violent crimes across the Americas. Trump called it a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” infiltrating the US illegally. His team argued the gang’s actions justify a national emergency. Still, rights groups warn the Trump Venezuelan deportation plan risks targeting people by ancestry, not evidence.
President Donald Trump invoked a centuries-old wartime law to declare a Venezuelan street gang has “invaded” the United States, clearing the way for “immediate apprehension, detention, and removal” of anyone the government says falls into that category. https://t.co/7e3mHMRwbE
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 15, 2025The ACLU and Brennan Center for Justice slammed the move. Katherine Yon Ebright, a Brennan counsel, said Trump aims to sidestep immigration laws. “He’s using an outdated wartime act to deport people without proof of crimes,” she explained. Critics say this sets a dangerous precedent. It could allow mass deportations without fair hearings, threatening vulnerable groups like asylum seekers.
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The case may head to the US Supreme Court, where justices decide if the Alien Enemies Act fits non-wartime scenarios. Trump’s supporters cheer his tough immigration stance, seen in policies like the border wall. Yet opponents worry about rights violations and strained ties with Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. For now, the ruling offers relief to targeted Venezuelans, but the fight continues.
