A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration not to deport five Venezuelan nationals in a lawsuit filed in anticipation of the administration’s possible invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a rarely used law allowing for quick deportation of foreigners during times of war or invasion.
Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia entered a paperless order on March 15, citing “exigent circumstances” in granting a request by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and others to block the deportation of the Venezuelan plaintiffs identified in the case.
Boasberg’s order bars the deportation of the five Venezuelan men, accused of being members of the Tren de Aragua transnational criminal gang, for a period of two weeks, while further legal proceedings play out….