A federal judge on Tuesday dealt another blow to the Trump administration's effort to deport Venezuelan immigrants using a 1700s-era law.
A judge in Denver extended a temporary block restricting the Trump administration from deporting immigrants from the state under the Alien Enemies Act, The Denver Post reported.
U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney said the administration and immigration officials must give at least 21 days of notice to use the rarely-used law to deport Venezuelan migrants held in the state. The migrants must also have an opportunity to challenge their removal.
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The block is set to expire May 6, though it can be extended, the judge said, according to the report.
“Such notice must state the government intends to remove individuals pursuant to the Act and Proclamation,” Sweeney said of the new requirement, according to the report. “It must also provide notice of a right to seek judicial review, and inform individuals they may consult an attorney regarding their detainment and the government’s intent to remove them. Such notice must be written in a language the individual understands.”
The judge slammed the government for failing to satisfy the conditions, and providing up to just one phone call to migrants and an oral notice of their removal, which wasn't necessarily in a language they understood.
The government’s previous notice procedure also gave no timeframe for the removal process and didn’t inform the individual how to — or even that they could — contest their removal, Sweeney said.
The latest court move comes a day after President Donald Trump railed against the Supreme Court, which he said has "stymied" him at "every turn."
The Supreme Court recently temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting Venezuelan migrants under the same act. The high court stressed that the targeted migrants must have a chance to challenge their removal in court.