Judge Rules on Controversial Deportation of Venezuelan Migrants

A U.S. District Judge ruled that Venezuelan migrants targeted for deportation under an 18th-century law must be allowed to challenge their removal. The Trump administration attempted to deport members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua without proper judicial orders. The decision emphasizes the judiciary's role in maintaining constitutional checks and balances.

A pivotal legal decision emerged Monday as a U.S. District Judge ruled that Venezuelan migrants, marked for deportation under a scarcely used 18th-century statute, must be permitted to contest their removal. The ruling rejected President Donald Trump's attempt to bypass standard immigration protocols using the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.

The judge's order maintains a hold on deportations, refuting the administration's appeal to lift a temporary ban imposed on March 15. This development spotlights the judiciary's function in challenging Trump's use of executive power amid Republican support in Congress.

Central to the ruling was documentation of poor living conditions facing deportees in Salvadoran detention centers, underpinning the judge's reasoning for upholding the deportation stay. The Trump administration's actions have prompted broader legal and constitutional debates, accentuating a critical judicial check on executive ambitions.

(With inputs from agencies.)