The US Supreme Court has stopped the Trump administration from deporting a group of Venezuelan migrants accused of being part of a gang. This decision comes after the government used a very old law from 1798, called the Alien Enemies Act (AEA), to carry out the deportations.
Last month, former President Donald Trump used the AEA to begin arresting Venezuelan migrants suspected of being members of the Tren de Aragua gang. He planned to send them to a high-security prison in El Salvador.
This law is rarely used—it was only applied during the War of 1812, World War I, and World War II.
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On Saturday, the Supreme Court issued a short order saying that the government must not deport any of these people until further notice.
This came after civil rights lawyers filed an emergency request to stop the deportations. They said the Venezuelans, who are currently being held in a Texas detention center, were told they could be removed from the country as soon as Friday night.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said that many of these migrants were not actually gang members, had not committed any crimes, and were likely targeted because of their tattoos.
Trump has claimed that Venezuela is sending gang members into the US, calling it an “invasion.” He had earlier promised to deport millions of undocumented migrants during his campaign.
Now, the Supreme Court’s pause gives time for the case to be fully reviewed and ensures that no one is deported unfairly in the meantime.
