Trump’s Attempt to Accelerate Deportations Blocked

Judge Boasberg Halted Deportations Under the Alien Enemies Act
Appeals Court Upholds Block in 2-1 Ruling
ACLU Attorney Applauds Ruling Against the Administration

A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld a ruling that prevents President Donald Trump from using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

He intended to use it to expedite the deportations of Venezuelans allegedly linked to the Tren de Aragua gang.

The Washington D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the earlier decision by two judges in a 2-1 vote.

Thus marking another setback for the White House in its attempt to justify mass deportations under a law originally intended for wartime use.

Trump’s Attempt to Accelerate Deportations Blocked

#BreakingNews

A U.S. federal appeals court rejects the Trump administration’s request to resume deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 pic.twitter.com/ty8obksfpe

– adn40 (@adn40) March 26, 2025

Trump invoked the law on March 14, arguing that the Venezuelan prison-born criminal organization posed a threat to U.S. national security.

However, Judge James Boasberg blocked the law’s application just one day later, even as two planes carrying migrants were already en route to Central America.

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Despite the judicial order, the aircraft landed in El Salvador, sparking an unprecedented legal conflict, according to EFE.

During a hearing last Monday, Judge Karen Henderson harshly criticized the administration’s application of the statute.

#BREAKING | Appeals court maintains temporary block on Trump deportations under the Alien Enemies Act. https://t.co/dm1dgeg6ig

— Noticias Telemundo (@TelemundoNews) March 26, 2025

“The Nazis received better treatment under the Alien Enemies Act,” she remarked, suggesting that the deportees were denied the opportunity to prove their innocence before being removed from the country.

Lee Gelernt, attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), welcomed the decision and emphasized that “no president is above the law.”

He added that the ruling ensures hundreds of individuals will not be “sent to a notorious prison in a foreign country without due process.”

The court’s ruling marks a major hurdle for the Trump administration’s push to tighten immigration policy through extraordinary measures. Meanwhile, the legal battle continues, with the possibility of the case reaching the Supreme Court.