A federal judge on Saturday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting five Venezuelan nationals under the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) of 1798, a law historically used only during wartime.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued the restraining order hours after the ACLU filed a motion challenging President Donald Trump’s reported plan to invoke the AEA to expedite deportations. While Trump has not yet formally invoked the law, multiple reports suggest he is considering it.
The ruling halts the deportation of the five plaintiffs for two weeks, allowing the court to review their asylum claims. The ACLU and Democracy Forward argue that the Venezuelan men have been relocated to Texas detention facilities as part of a staging process for removal under the AEA.
The AEA, which has been invoked only during wartime, was previously used against German, Japanese, and Italian immigrants in World Wars I and II. Critics warn its application in peacetime would set a dangerous precedent.
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