Judicial Blockade on Trump's Mass Deportation Order for Venezuelan Gang

A federal judge blocked President Trump's attempt to use an 18th-century law to deport Venezuelan gang members. Trump's claim of an invasion by the Tren de Aragua gang led to the order, which bypassed normal immigration protocols. The judge's ruling stopped deportation flights under this directive.

In a dramatic legal intervention, a federal judge has halted the Trump administration's attempt to deport members of a Venezuelan gang under an archaic 18th-century law. Asserting the United States faced an invasion, President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a rarely used wartime statute, to expedite deportations.

Chief Judge James E. Boasberg of the US District Court for the District of Columbia issued an immediate order to ground flights carrying individuals identified as members of the Tren de Aragua gang, as the Trump administration sought rapid removal without normal immigration procedures. The order initially blocked the deportation of five Venezuelans.

Trump's proclamation, made hours before the ruling, labeled the Venezuelan criminal organization as a national security threat. The judicial pushback highlights the controversial expansion of executive power, with senior officials arguing similar moves could target other gangs, such as MS-13, under the historic law.

(With inputs from agencies.)