In a rare and dramatic overnight decision, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling early Saturday blocking the deportation of Venezuelan migrants being held in northern Texas — at least temporarily — under a centuries-old wartime law.
The justices ordered the Trump administration not to proceed with removals from the Bluebonnet Detention Center “until further order of this court.” The decision follows an emergency appeal filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, which argued that federal immigration authorities were attempting to revive the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to justify expedited deportations.
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the majority’s decision.
The Alien Enemies Act, which has only been used three times in U.S. history, was last invoked during World War II to imprison Japanese-American civilians in internment camps. The Trump administration contends it can now be used to fast-track deportations of Venezuelan nationals accused of gang affiliations — particularly links to the notorious Tren de Aragua — regardless of their legal immigration status.
Two lower court judges had previously declined to intervene, and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has yet to rule on the case.
For now, the Supreme Court’s ruling puts those deportations on hold — but the broader legal fight is far from over.