Supreme Court Halts Trump Deportation of Venezuelan Migrants Under Alien Enemies Act

KEY POINTS

• The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 7–2 temporary injunction on May 16, 2025, blocking the Trump administration from immediately deporting two Venezuelan migrants.
• The ruling cites insufficient procedural safeguards under the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) and remands the case to the appeals court for further review.
• Justice Kavanaugh concurred, citing the importance of judicial review; Justices Thomas and Alito dissented on jurisdictional grounds.
• President Trump called the decision “a bad and dangerous day for America.”

In a 7–2 decision issued on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 4:21 PM EDT, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked the Trump administration from proceeding with the immediate deportation of two Venezuelan nationals under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 (AEA). The unsigned majority opinion stated that the government’s enforcement approach “did not pass muster” and remanded the case to a lower appeals court to review whether the AEA permits deportation without proper notice and individualized legal process.

Temporary Injunction and Legal Reasoning

The Court’s decision emphasized the need for judicial oversight when the executive branch invokes national security statutes to remove non-citizens, especially those from countries not formally at war with the United States. The majority ruling found that the current application of the AEA failed to ensure basic procedural protections required under constitutional due process principles.

Concurring and Dissenting Opinions

Justice Brett Kavanaugh issued a concurring opinion, reinforcing the importance of an injunction to ensure that the case is reviewed before irreversible action is taken:

Meanwhile, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented. They argued that the Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction to issue the injunction and that the administration was within its statutory rights to deport non-citizens under the AEA.

Trump’s Response: “A Dangerous Day for America”

President Donald Trump responded swiftly via Truth Social, lambasting the decision and warning that the ruling would allow dangerous criminals to remain in the United States under legal technicalities. He accused the Court of undermining his administration’s efforts to protect national security and remove violent offenders.

What Comes Next?

The case now returns to the U.S. Court of Appeals, which must determine whether the Alien Enemies Act can lawfully be used to justify deportations without notice or due process protections. Legal scholars note that the AEA—originally passed in 1798—was designed for wartime measures, raising questions about its modern application, particularly against migrants from Venezuela, a country not formally designated as a hostile nation.

Until the lower court rules on the constitutional merits, the two Venezuelan individuals named in the case cannot be removed from U.S. soil.

All legal facts and court excerpts are based on the official ruling as reviewed and published by Just The News on May 16, 2025.