Supreme Court Halts Trump Administration’s Deportation of Venezuelan Migrants

Shortly before 1 a.m. on Saturday, the Supreme Court issued an emergency order blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to deport Venezuelan migrants to a prison in El Salvador before they could legally challenge their removal, Joseph Stern reported for Salon.

The case, AARP v. Trump, centers on the administration’s invocation of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to justify the immediate transfer of Venezuelan migrants to a Salvadoran detention facility.

The court’s dramatic late-night decision marks an extraordinary rebuke of the administration and a possible turning point in the judiciary’s approach to President Trump’s executive actions.

For months, the court had largely deferred to the administration, often accepting questionable legal justifications.

But Saturday’s ruling suggests a shift, with a majority of justices now appearing unwilling to trust the government to follow the law—or the court’s own rulings.

The case, AARP v. Trump, centers on the administration’s invocation of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to justify the immediate transfer of Venezuelan migrants to a Salvadoran detention facility.

On Thursday, lawyers for the migrants informed a federal court that deportation preparations were underway, raising alarm over their potential indefinite confinement at a notorious prison known for human rights abuses.

The court’s intervention suggests that a constitutional showdown between the executive and judiciary may be approaching.