The U.S. Supreme Court issued an emergency order early Saturday to temporarily block the Trump administration from deporting a group of Venezuelan suspects being held in Texas back to their home country.

(April 11, 2025 - Venezuelan immigrants deported by the U.S. react upon arrival at Simon Bolivar International Airport)

The order was succinct and clear, requiring the administration led by President Trump to "not deport these individuals held at the Bluebonnet Detention Center" until further instructions from the court. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented.

This ruling stemmed from an emergency appeal filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which pointed out that immigration authorities seemed to be attempting to restart deportation actions under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.

Last month, the Supreme Court had ruled that the government must provide the individuals involved with "reasonable time" to appeal their cases and have opportunities for judicial relief before executing deportations.

Due to the recent transfer of these Venezuelan individuals, who are accused of being criminals, to Anson detention center about 200 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, causing panic among legal teams, the ACLU quickly submitted urgent applications to multiple courts, including the Supreme Court, requesting immediate intervention.

Trump attempted to invoke the rarely used 1798 Alien Enemies Act, which grants wartime presidents the authority to classify certain individuals as "enemy combatants" and deport them swiftly. The last widespread use of this law was during World War II for the detention and deportation of Japanese Americans.

These detained Venezuelans were accused by U.S. authorities of being members of the "Tren de Aragua" gang, a South American organization involved in human trafficking and violent crimes. The Trump administration classified it as a terrorist organization.

Trump Faces Judicial Obstruction; Chief Justice Warns

Trump hit another roadblock in this case. Last month, Chief Justice John Roberts made a rare public comment warning Trump not to threaten federal judges with impeachment again. Previously, Trump publicly criticized federal judge James Boasberg for blocking the deportation of Venezuelans.

In a related case handled by Judge Boasberg, Department of Justice lawyers admitted that although there was no plan for deportation on Friday, it might happen on Saturday, with "the Department of Homeland Security retaining the right to deport."

During his campaign last year, Trump promised to crack down on illegal immigration. This time, he invoked the Alien Enemies Act to swiftly deport suspected criminals to demonstrate his tough stance on immigration.

ACLU Takes Emergency Action, Questioning Illegality of Government Procedures

ACLU stated that several men had been loaded onto deportation buses and received "enemy alien" classification notices but were not given reasonable time or opportunity to challenge the deportation decision. ACLU claimed this violated previous rulings by the Supreme Court.

After not receiving timely responses from the Federal District Court in Texas and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, the ACLU turned to the Supreme Court for intervention and submitted relevant deportation notices as evidence. The notice read: "You have been classified as an enemy alien and will be detained, restricted, and deported." However, the recipient refused to sign it, with the date being April 18th.

Uncertainty Over Number of Detainees and Destination for Deportation

It remains unclear how many people are facing deportation and where they will be sent. Reports suggest they may be sent to El Salvador prisons, where conditions are harsh and where many have already been detained.

When asked about the matter on Friday, Trump said he was unaware of the specific details but emphasized: "If they are bad people, I would certainly approve the deportation. After all, I was elected to do this job, not judges."

In response to questions, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said: "We will not disclose details of counter-terrorism operations, but we are following the court's ruling."

Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7495137947352597027/

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