In a legal blow to President Donald Trump’s sprawling immigration crackdown, the Supreme Court on Friday blocked the administration from moving forward with mass deportations of a group of accused Venezuelan gang members under the Alien Enemies Act.
The decision reversing a lower court order quickly spread throughout social media, with legal experts calling the high court ruling a clear message to Trump as his administration weighs suspending due process and other deportation tactics.
“Supreme Court rebukes Trump admin for shoving Venezuelans onto planes with little notice," American Immigration Center attorney Aaron Reichlin-Melnick wrote on X.
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He added in a follow-up post that the ruling “makes clear AGAIN that the Trump administration cannot throw people onto a plane with little to no notice. Those subject to the Alien Enemies Act MUST be given time to contact a lawyer, file a habeas lawsuit, and pursue the case. Anything less is illegal.”
Orin Kerr, a Stanford law professor, told his X followers: “A very narrow ruling, but still quite noteworthy (especially 7-2)."
“This is not the end of the story,” warned Economist reporter Steven Mazie on X. “The Court does not decide the underlying issue of whether Trump can deport alleged members of this gang under the AEA. That question is for another day.”
He noted that Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas were the only two dissenting votes.