In a significant ruling during the early hours of Saturday, the Supreme Court has ordered the Trump administration to refrain from deporting Venezuelan men held in Texas that are claimed to be gang members.
The court’s brief order essentially pauses the proceedings related to these detainees, which applies to individuals currently held within the Northern District of Texas, as they await further guidance from the Supreme Court.
The ruling directs the government not to remove any members of the proposed class of detainees from the United States until the court issues additional instructions.
This action is particularly notable as two conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, expressed disagreement with the Supreme Court’s decision, indicating some division among the justices.
Earlier, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans denied a request to halt deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, which the government is invoking against the detainees.
Specifically, the administration seeks to deport these men, alleging connections to the Tren de Aragua gang.
Critical legal questions arise regarding the application of the Alien Enemies Act to gang members who are not in a wartime context, alongside concerns about the reliability of the government’s claims regarding gang membership.
The plaintiffs, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), emphasize that their primary request is for the court to maintain the status quo, preventing the deportation of these men to a notorious prison in El Salvador until they receive their due process rights under U.S. law.
ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt, who leads the case, expressed relief at the Supreme Court’s decision, stating, “These men were in imminent danger of spending their lives in a horrific foreign prison without ever having had a chance to go to court.”
Gelernt further highlighted the importance of the ruling, confirming that the Supreme Court’s action effectively prevents the administration from rapidly deporting these individuals, a fate that befell others just last month.
This Supreme Court decision follows a previous judgment made on April 7, which clarified that individuals targeted for deportation under the Alien Enemies Act are entitled to challenge their expulsion through habeas corpus petitions.
The ongoing case raises profound questions concerning President Trump’s unusual invocation of this 18th-century law, which has traditionally been applied only in wartime, and whether his administration is adhering to established court orders.
In addition, the Supreme Court had previously criticized a Washington judge for mishandling aspects of the case but affirmed the right for plaintiffs to pursue legal action in the districts where they are detained.
This notable 5-4 decision saw liberal justices align with conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, marking a rare moment of cross-ideological agreement within the court.
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