The US Supreme Court has ruled that the Trump administration must pause the deportation of a group of Venezuelans believed to be gang members. The men are being detained in Texas and were arrested under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.
The 18th-century law allows the president to order the detention and deportation of natives or citizens of enemy nations. The detainees, believed to be members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, were given notice of deportation. However, the Supreme Court’s Saturday morning order mandates they not be deported until further notice from the Court, leaving their fate is in limbo.
The ACLU’s suit claims the government’s notice didn’t comply with the previous Supreme Court ruling that allowed the use of the Alien Enemies Act, as detainees were told only in English that they faced deportation despite at least one only speaking Spanish. In Saturday’s order, the Court urged the Trump administration to file its response “as soon as possible.”
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the majority opinion, but did not provide any explanation for their votes.
