Venezuelans tell Supreme Court not to allow ‘limitless’ deportations – Washington Examiner
In recent developments, a group of five Venezuelan men has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to prevent President donald Trump from resuming deportations of alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang. Their lawyers argue that these individuals could face severe consequences, including life imprisonment in a notorious salvadoran prison, if deported without due process. Trump’s management is seeking to lift a lower court’s block on deportations based on the Alien Enemies Act, a law from 1798 that is being used to justify mass removals.
The men’s attorneys, representing the American Civil Liberties Union and Democracy Forward, contend that the law cannot grant the president unchecked power to label groups as “enemies.” They warn that such a move could lead to arbitrary removals without judicial oversight. The Venezuelans claim they have no gang affiliations, wiht one individual asserting he is targeted solely based on his tattoos.Many other deportees have also reported being misidentified.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has expressed concern over the administration’s actions, having previously ordered a halt to deportations under the Act. The Supreme Court’s decision could considerably impact the scope of presidential immigration authority, either allowing deportations to resume or upholding the lower court’s ruling as litigation continues amidst a series of lawsuits against Trump’s executive orders.
Venezuelans tell Supreme Court not to hand Trump ‘limitless’ deportation power
Lawyers for a small group of Venezuelan men are urging the Supreme Court not to let President Donald Trump resume deportations of alleged Tren de Aragua gang members without due process, warning that the men could face life imprisonment in a notorious Salvadoran prison if deported.
The urgent request made by five Venezuelans comes after Trump last week asked the justices to lift a lower court order temporarily blocking deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime law now being used by the administration to justify mass removals.
Attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union and Democracy Forward argue that the statute allowing the president to detain and expel foreign nationals deemed enemies cannot be used as a blank check for executive power.
“This would quickly become a limitless source of power,” attorneys for the men wrote in a response brief, warning that if the president could unilaterally label any group an “enemy” or declare an “invasion,” courts would be powerless to stop arbitrary removals.
The five men say they have no gang ties, and one claims he is being targeted solely because of the design of his tattoos. Dozens of others already deported to El Salvador under the program say they were similarly misidentified and are now being held “incommunicado” in a prison notorious for abuse, according to court filings.
“If allowed to proceed, these men will suffer extraordinary and irreparable harms — shipped out of the U.S. without any opportunity to contest their designation as gang members,” their attorneys wrote.
In a tangential dispute related to this case, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who first blocked the use of the Alien Enemies Act for deportations, has demanded the administration explain this week why two deportation flights to El Salvador continued after he had verbally ordered them halted in mid-March.
Stephen Miller, a key architect of Trump’s immigration agenda, has defended using the Alien Enemies Act, claiming it is not subject to court review. “You can read the law yourself,” Miller told CNN. “There’s not one clause in that law that makes it subject to judicial review.”
DOJ ASKS SUPREME COURT TO OVERTURN HOLD ON ALIEN ENEMIES ACT DEPORTATIONS
The Supreme Court could grant a temporary green light to resume deportations while the case proceeds, a decision with sweeping implications for presidential authority. Conversely, the justices may uphold the lower court’s decision to pause the deportations while litigation proceeds.
The legal clash is part of a wave of more than 180 lawsuits challenging Trump’s executive orders as he reshapes the federal government.
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