WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court issued a temporary order early Saturday morning, preventing the Trump administration from deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members in Texas pending further legal proceedings. This decision affects detainees within the Northern District of Texas and comes after lawyers representing the detainees filed an application with the court.
The court’s brief order directed the government to refrain from removing any of the detainees from the United States until further notice. While the application was neither granted nor denied, the court effectively halted any deportation actions while awaiting a decision from an appeals court on a similar request.
Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the decision, as noted in the order. The detainees, believed to be members of the Tren de Aragua gang, are currently held in the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas, where efforts to deport them under the Alien Enemies Act are underway.
The legal dispute revolves around the government’s authority to apply the wartime law to non-citizens accused of gang affiliation without being in a war situation. The detainees’ lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union emphasized the need to preserve the status quo until due process is afforded to the proposed class members.
Following the Supreme Court’s action, the government was ordered to respond to the ACLU application promptly after the appeals court makes its decision. This development follows a previous Supreme Court ruling underscoring the detainees’ right to challenge deportation decisions through habeas corpus petitions.
The case not only questions the Trump administration’s use of presidential power in invoking a centuries-old law but also raises concerns about compliance with court orders. Despite criticisms of the judge’s handling of the case, the Supreme Court’s previous decision allowed plaintiffs to pursue legal action in the districts where they are detained.
Litigation is ongoing in a related case involving the mistaken deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador by the Trump administration. The legal battles underscore the complexities surrounding immigration policies and the enforcement of laws affecting non-citizens in the United States.