Supreme Court pauses deportations of Venezuelans under wartime law

In the United States, the Supreme Court intervened on April 19, 2025, to temporarily pause the deportation of Venezuelan nationals held in northern Texas under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. This decision followed an emergency appeal from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which argued that detainees were facing imminent removal without adequate legal protections. Previously, the Trump administration had moved to deport those accused of being affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang, leveraging the historical wartime law that had only been invoked a few times before in U.S. history. The justices’ ruling asserted that detainees must be granted the opportunity to contest their deportations in court, which had been particularly urgent given allegations that detainees were receiving notifications in English, despite predominantly speaking Spanish, which could hinder their understanding of their rights. The decision was not without dissent, as Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito opposed the majority opinion, signalling ongoing divisions within the court over issues of immigration and executive power. The context surrounding these deportations is particularly precarious, given prior instances where the Alien Enemies Act was invoked during World War II, raising concerns about civil liberties and the treatment of immigrant populations. This intervention by the Supreme Court signifies a critical moment in the ongoing dialogue about immigration policies and the implications of using wartime legislation in contemporary contexts.