US Supreme Court Pauses Deportation of Venezuelans Under Wartime Law

The US Supreme Court has intervened to halt the deportation of Venezuelans accused of gang affiliation, citing potential civil rights violations as a group files a lawsuit against the Trump administration.

The U.S. Supreme Court has recently stepped in to stop the deportation of Venezuelans who are accused gang members, a move prompted by a lawsuit filed by a civil liberties organization. This legal action challenges a series of deportations being conducted under a rarely-used 18th-century law, specifically the Alien Enemies Act, which President Trump has leveraged against individuals tied to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA).

On Saturday, the Supreme Court issued a directive preventing the government from deporting any individuals falling under this class of detainees until further notice. The ruling followed a temporary blockage by a lower court, which had already curbed these deportations on March 15. However, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the majority opinion.

As of April 8, the Trump administration had reportedly deported 261 Venezuelans, with 137 of those removals executed under the Alien Enemies Act. Civil rights advocates, particularly the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), argue that these deportees face grave risks, including potentially facing life sentences in the notorious Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador with little opportunity to contest their removal.

The ACLU argues that if the Supreme Court hadn’t intervened, many detainees might be sent back to dangerous conditions, essentially stripping them of their due process rights and ability to appeal their designations. This legal battle not only raises questions about national security but also highlights significant civil liberties issues within the immigration detention system.