The Supreme Court has temporarily prevented the Trump administration from deporting Venezuelans held at the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Texas, citing the Alien Enemies Act, an old wartime law that facilitates the swift removal of foreigners considered a threat by the government.
In a brief note issued early Saturday, the court declared, “The government is directed not to remove any member of the putative class of detainees from the United States until further order of this court.”
Notably, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the ruling.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had raised alarms late Friday regarding immigration authorities planning to restart the deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, despite restrictions imposed by a previous Supreme Court ruling on its application.
Reports surfaced that Venezuelan detainees at the Bluebonnet facility were informed late Thursday that they would face immediate deportation.
ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt shared with NPR that some migrants were being loaded onto buses ostensibly for removal late Friday.
This operation took place even after the Supreme Court ruled that deportation could continue under the act, provided that detainees receive due process and an opportunity to contest their removals.
According to the government, 137 migrants linked to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua have already been deported under the Alien Enemies Act, some even transferred to a prison in El Salvador.
NPR was not able to independently verify the number of detainees facing deportation from Bluebonnet.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the specifics of the case or provide further details.
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin stated, “We are not going to reveal the details of counter-terrorism operations, and we are complying with the Supreme Court’s ruling.”
The ACLU made a late Friday appeal to the Supreme Court, seeking an emergency injunction and a stay of removal for the affected migrants.
Their request included a stipulation that migrants subjected to the Alien Enemies Act must be given at least 30 days’ notice prior to their deportation.
The ACLU emphasized, “The notice the government is providing does not remotely comply with the Supreme Court’s order.
At a minimum, the notice must be translated into a language that individuals can understand.
Most importantly, there must be sufficient time for individuals to seek review.
As during World War II, that notice must be at least 30 days in advance of any attempted removal.”
They also attempted in vain to secure a federal judge’s intervention to cease any new deportations.
During an emergency hearing on Friday evening, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg expressed concerns over the inadequacy of the forms presented to migrants, which lacked information on their right to contest their deportation.
Judge Boasberg remarked, “It doesn’t say you have the right to contest, you have the right to challenge anything.
It’s just telling you here’s the notice, you’re getting removed.
That certainly seems problematic to me.”
In defense, the Justice Department maintained that the notice complies with former Supreme Court guidelines.
Federal judges across multiple districts have halted deportations using the Alien Enemies Act.
The ACLU has filed another lawsuit aimed at stopping deportations at various Texas detention centers, including Bluebonnet, which is located in west-central Texas, roughly between Lubbock and Fort Worth.
The ACLU argued that many Venezuelan migrants were recently taken to Bluebonnet specifically for deportation under the Alien Enemies Act.
The government, however, has refuted these claims.
Earlier in the week, Judge Boasberg found probable cause suggesting that the Trump administration had committed criminal contempt by disregarding his orders.
However, the Supreme Court ruled that only judges overseeing the facilities where the migrants are held have the authority to prohibit their removal.
Reporting contributions were made by Stella M. Chávez from The Texas Newsroom and NPR’s Ximena Bustillo.
image source from：https://www.npr.org/2025/04/18/nx-s1-5369579/supreme-court-block-deportations-venezuelans
