Fed judge orders deportation flights carrying alleged Venezuelan gangbangers to return to US after Trump invokes Alien Enemies Act
A federal judge temporarily blocked President Trump on Saturday from invoking the 18th century Alien Enemies Act to swiftly deport alleged Venezuelan gang members without a hearing – ordering any flights carrying the supposed criminals to turn around.
US District judge James Boasberg quickly ordered the Trump administration to halt all removals after the commander in chief signed off on a presidential action invoking the 1798 law – aimed at targeting Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua, The Washington Post reported.
The chief judge in the District of Columbia said he heard that “flights are actively departing” and directed US officials to have planes in the air carrying migrants returned to the United States, the outlet reported.
Boasberg’s ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and Democracy Forward challenging the removal of five Venezuelan men under the centuries-old law — which was reportedly signed on Friday.
Before the early evening ruling blocking the use of the act, an emergency hearing was held Saturday morning. At it the judge barred the removal of the five migrants named in the legal challenge, which Trump’s administration has already appealed.
