The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that President Donald Trump may deport suspected foreign cartel members under a controversial 18th-century war law.
The justices said the plaintiffs, who were detained in Texas, should have filed their lawsuit there instead of in Washington, D.C., effectively overturning a lower court's ruling.
The decision reverses a judgment by federal Judge James Boasberg, who had previously blocked the deportations, arguing that the 1798 Alien Enemies Act didn't provide sufficient legal grounds to expel the alleged gang members.
The Supreme Court, which ruled five-four in favor of lifting Boasberg's order, noted that "the detainees' rights against summary removal, however, are not currently in dispute" and that "the detainees are entitled to notice and opportunity to be heard 'appropriate to the nature of the case.'" According to the U.S. media, the ruling leaves open the possibility that the migrants could refile their case in Texas.
"The Court's disagreement with the dissenters is not over whether the detainees receive judicial review of their transfers; nine Members of the Court agree that judicial review is available. The only question is where that judicial review should occur," said Justice Brett Kavanaugh in his concurring opinion.
In March, the U.S. deported more than 200 alleged members of the Tren de Aragua criminal group to El Salvador invoking the Alien Enemies Act – which had been last used during World War II – arguing the gang was waging "irregular warfare" against the U.S. under the direction of Venezuela's authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro.
The law allows the president to bypass normal immigration procedures to detain or deport foreign nationals from hostile nations, but typically requires the U.S. to be at war or facing an "invasion or predatory attack."
The Trump administration celebrated the Supreme Court ruling, with Trump hailing it as "a great day for justice in America!" on social media.
"The Supreme Court has upheld the Rule of Law in our Nation by allowing a President, whoever that may be, to be able to secure our Borders, and protect our families and our Country, itself."
U.S. Vice President JD Vance said that, "the Supreme Court today rejected the idea that far-left judges in D.C. can overrule President Trump's immigration enforcement."
"This is a major loss for the lunatics and a major win for the American people," he added. The Trump administration has repeatedly attacked Boasberg, with the president also calling for his impeachment.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the ruling was a "victory for commonsense security," adding that the U.S. government would "continue to enforce our immigration laws and restore sanity to our immigration system by using all appropriate authorities, including the Alien Enemies Act."
The civil rights organization American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which had challenged Trump's order in court, stressed that the court "ruled to protect due process, meaning no one can be removed without a chance to challenge their deportation." The organization pledged to "keep fighting" until Trump's use of the Alien Enemy Act "is blocked for good."
