The Supreme Court of the United States has allowed the Trump administration to resume deporting some immigrants, giving a partial win to former President Donald Trump’s strict immigration policies. However, the court also said these immigrants must be given a fair chance to challenge their removal.
The case involved Venezuelan immigrants who are accused of being members of a criminal gang known as Tren de Aragua. The U.S. government wants to deport them under an old law from 1798 called the Alien Enemies Act, which allows the President to deport non-citizens during times of war.
Deportation Case Filed in the Wrong Court
The court did not decide whether Trump can fully use this law to deport these immigrants. Instead, it said that the challenge was filed in the wrong court. The case was submitted in Washington D.C., but the immigrants are being held in Texas. So, the court said the legal fight should happen in Texas instead.
The court’s majority said, “The detainees are in Texas, so the case should not have been filed in Washington, D.C.” This decision removed a temporary ban that had stopped the deportations earlier.
Some Justices Disagreed with the Decision
The court has a 6-3 conservative majority, and the three liberal judges disagreed with the decision. Justice Sonia Sotomayor strongly opposed the ruling. She said the government’s actions were a serious threat to the rule of law and added, “We should be better than this.”
Even though the court supported the government, it also made clear that the immigrants must be told they are being removed and must be given enough time to challenge the decision in the right court.
Immigrants Still Get a Chance for a Hearing
Lee Gelernt, one of the lawyers representing the immigrants, said the most important part of the ruling is that the court still gave immigrants a right to challenge their deportation.
However, legal expert Steve Vladeck said the decision makes it more difficult for immigrants to fight government policies in court. He said the court focused on a small legal detail instead of the bigger issue.
Debate Over the President’s Powers
The government argues that the Alien Enemies Act gives the President strong powers to deport people from countries at war with the U.S. But some courts earlier said that this power only applies when a foreign government is involved—not criminal gangs like Tren de Aragua.
Judge James Boasberg earlier said the immigrants should be allowed to have a hearing to prove they are not part of the gang. But the government said his court didn’t have the power to make that decision.
Who Decides – The President or the Courts?
The government’s lawyer, Sarah Harris, said the Constitution gives the President the power to make decisions in national security matters, not the courts. Many Republican leaders supported this view and said the country finally has a President ready to protect Americans.
But not everyone agreed. Some former officials, including a retired judge and a former CIA director, said that the courts must still check the President’s powers. They believe judicial review is necessary in a democratic country.
The immigrants’ lawyers said the government was using the Alien Enemies Act in a way Congress never intended. They argued that calling a gang invasion a reason for deportation under a wartime law is an extreme and dangerous step.
What’s Next for the Immigrants?
These immigrants are currently being held by the U.S. government. If they are deported, they might be sent to a tough prison in El Salvador. Their lawyers warned that they might never be seen again.
The judge who temporarily stopped the deportations was planning to hold another hearing on April 8 to decide if the pause should continue. While the court allowed deportations to resume, the immigrants still have a chance to defend themselves in Texas court.
