Washington, LOGIC.co.id – The United States Supreme Court extended its temporary halt on President Donald Trump’s efforts to deport Venezuelan migrants using the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a law historically applied only during times of war.
In a brief unsigned ruling, the justices granted a request from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lawyers to maintain the temporary suspension of deportations. Previously, on April 19, the Supreme Court had ordered a temporary halt on the deportation of dozens of migrants detained at an immigration center in Texas.
This deportation effort is part of Trump’s strict immigration policy, which he has enforced since returning to the presidency in January.
According to the ACLU, the government attempted to deport migrants without providing notice or an opportunity to challenge the decision in court — a violation of the fundamental principle of due process. The Supreme Court agreed, stating that giving only 24 hours’ notice before deportation without explaining legal rights does not meet legal standards.
“In such circumstances, providing less than 24 hours’ notice without clear information about the legal rights to contest the deportation is plainly unacceptable,” the ruling said.
Trump Strongly Criticizes Supreme Court Decision
President Trump harshly condemned the decision. In a social media post, he called it “a bad and dangerous day for America.”
He argued that illegal immigrants accused of crimes cannot be immediately deported without a lengthy and costly legal process that could take years. Trump also warned that this ruling could open loopholes for other criminals to enter the US illegally.
Two conservative justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, dissented from the ruling. Alito argued that the Supreme Court should not intervene at this early stage of the case and questioned the legality of granting collective legal protections to detainees.
Nonetheless, the Supreme Court ordered the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to review the legal procedures required to ensure a constitutionally proper process.
The Court also clarified that the Trump administration may still continue deportations under other provisions of US immigration law.
Case Involves Detention in El Salvador Prison
The case has become more complicated because Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798-era law allowing the government to deport or detain foreign nationals during wartime, claiming that the Venezuelan migrants were members of the criminal gang Tren de Aragua. This gang originates from Venezuelan prisons and has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the US State Department.
However, relatives of the deported migrants and their legal teams deny any involvement with the gang. They also state they were never given a chance to refute these allegations.
Some of the deportees have been sent to El Salvador and held in a high-security anti-terrorism prison, through cooperation between the Trump administration and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele. The US reportedly provided $6 million in funding to the Salvadoran government as part of this agreement.
ACLU: Supreme Court Decision a Major Blow to the Government
Lee Gelernt, lead ACLU attorney in the case, welcomed the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“The court's decision to stay removals is a powerful rebuke to the government's attempt to hurry people away to a Gulag-type prison in El Salvador, the use of a wartime authority during peacetime, without even affording due process, raises issues of profound importance.” said Gelernt.
Previously, the Supreme Court emphasized that the Alien Enemies Act must be applied with reasonable notice and legal opportunities to challenge deportations. However, in practice, the government was found to have violated these orders by directly transporting migrants to airports without court proceedings.