In a significant legal development, the US Supreme Court has ordered a temporary pause on the deportation of Venezuelans accused of gang membership, citing a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). This ruling specifically affects individuals detained in a center in north Texas, with Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito dissenting.
The Trump administration had invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act in its efforts to classify members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) as a threat to national security. According to an administration official, as of April 8, 137 of the 261 Venezuelans deported were processed under this wartime law, leading to their relocation to a notorious mega-jail situated in El Salvador.
The Supreme Court's ruling came after a lower court had temporarily blocked these deportations on March 15, underscoring the ongoing legal battle over the government’s authority to enforce such removals based on accusations of gang involvement. The ACLU's lawsuit argues that this enforcement could lead to the deportees facing severe human rights violations in El Salvador, raising alarms about the absence of a fair chance to contest their removal and designation.
