Today's News: Supreme Court Blocks Deportations Under Alien Enemies Act
The Court’s unsigned, expedited order temporarily blocks deportations while legal questions are considered. Justices Alito and Thomas dissented.
PhotoL Win McNamee/Getty Images
Overview
Date: April 7–19, 2025
Topic: Supreme Court Blocks Deportations Under Alien Enemies Act
Summary: The U.S. Supreme Court issued an emergency order halting the deportation of a group of Venezuelan migrants under the Alien Enemies Act, a rarely used 1798 wartime law invoked by President Trump. Civil liberties groups, including the ACLU, contested the deportations, arguing that detainees were denied notice, due process, and access to legal remedies. The Court’s unsigned, expedited order temporarily blocks deportations while legal questions are considered. Justices Alito and Thomas dissented, and Alito is expected to explain his position. The decision reflects growing judicial skepticism of the administration’s aggressive use of executive authority and its compliance with legal safeguards.
Sources
The New York Times – An Urgent Supreme Court Order Protecting Migrants Was Built for Speed
CNN – What to know about the Supreme Court’s midnight Alien Enemies Act order
NBC News – Supreme Court orders Trump administration not to deport Venezuelans under Alien Enemies Act for now
The Washington Post – Supreme Court blocks Alien Enemies Act deportation of Venezuelan men
The Wall Street Journal – Supreme Court Halts New Trump Deportations Under Wartime Law
EL PAÍS – The U.S. Supreme Court blocks Trump from deporting immigrants under a 1798 war law
Fox News did not have any headline reporting on this story.
Key Points
The Supreme Court temporarily halted deportations of Venezuelan migrants accused of gang affiliation under the Alien Enemies Act.
The emergency ruling came amid concerns that migrants were not given adequate notice or the opportunity to challenge their deportation.
Justices Thomas and Alito dissented; Alito is expected to publish his reasoning.
Legal uncertainty surrounds whether the Alien Enemies Act applies in this non-wartime context and whether its use violates due process.
The administration maintains that deportations are lawful and necessary for national security.
Lower courts in Texas and D.C. have also weighed in, with varying interpretations of judicial authority and urgency.
Unique Highlights
CNN noted that the April 7 ruling gave the administration a legal opening but left key terms vague, such as “reasonable notice,” which the administration exploited.
The Washington Post revealed that some detainees were placed on buses hours before the ruling and that notices were in English without clear instructions on how to contest deportation.
NBC News confirmed the ACLU’s fear that detainees would be sent to a notorious Salvadoran prison and that habeas relief might not come in time.
The Wall Street Journal detailed that planes were ready and deportations imminent, framing the situation as a legal sprint to intervene before removal.
EL PAÍS linked the case to broader institutional resistance against Trump’s authoritarian governance, noting parallels with actions against universities, NGOs, and the press.
Contrasting Details
The New York Times emphasized procedural irregularities and the speed of the Court’s action, while The Wall Street Journal focused on legal logistics and prior court orders.
CNN presented a split narrative of Trump claiming legal victory from the earlier ruling, while migrant advocates saw it as judicial caution.
EL PAÍS portrayed the Supreme Court action as part of a broader resistance to Trump’s overreach, a framing not seen in U.S.-based outlets.
NBC News and The Washington Post both referenced detainees’ lack of understanding due to language barriers, but only The Washington Post linked this to past deportation errors and suggested systemic noncompliance by the administration.
CNN included specific language from judges questioning whether the Alien Enemies Act even applies to gangs like Tren de Aragua in the absence of a declared war, a legal argument less emphasized in other outlets.
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