The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., where Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued her first opinion limiting business appeals. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
Washington D.C. EPICSTORIAN – A federal appeals court has upheld an injunction preventing President Donald Trump from using the Alien Enemies Act for expedited deportations.
In a 2-1 decision, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the administration cannot enforce the law while ongoing legal challenges remain unresolved.
The ruling temporarily halts deportations of individuals allegedly linked to the Venezuelan group Tren de Aragua.
Judge James Boasberg issued the original injunction on March 15, but deportation flights continued, raising concerns that the administration had ignored the order. The Justice Department has declined to provide full details on these flights, intensifying legal scrutiny.
Judges Challenge Use of Alien Enemies Act
The Act, enacted in 1798, grants presidents broad authority to deport non-citizens if the U.S. is at war or under threat of invasion. Trump invoked the law, arguing that national security risks required immediate deportations.
Judges Patricia Millett and Karen Henderson ruled to uphold the injunction, warning that premature deportations could have serious consequences. Henderson noted that lifting the block “risks exiling plaintiffs to a land that is not their country of origin, where they could face torture in notorious prisons.”
Deportees Allege Abuse
Government attorneys stated that deportations would resume immediately if the court lifted the injunction. Plaintiffs claimed the administration used the Alien Enemies Act to justify sweeping deportations, leading to wrongful removals.
One deportee reported being subjected to “electric shocks and suffocation” in a Venezuelan prison after being expelled for opposing the regime.
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Judge Justin Walker dissented, arguing that the lawsuit should be filed in Texas instead of Washington, D.C. He sided with the administration, stating that delaying deportations could “threaten delicate negotiations with foreign powers on national security matters.”
Next Steps in the Legal Battle
The Trump administration is expected to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. The case could determine the limits of executive power in immigration enforcement and the legal reach of the Alien Enemies Act in modern deportation policies.
