The ACLU is urgently petitioning the Supreme Court, sounding the alarm that more deportations under the Alien Enemies Act are on the verge of happening. This isn’t just a legal matter; it’s a race against time to prevent what many perceive as imminent human rights violations.
The urgency of the situation is palpable. The fear is that these deportations will happen swiftly and secretly, perhaps even under the cover of a weekend, furthering concerns about due process. This clandestine approach fuels the perception of a deliberate attempt to circumvent judicial oversight and public scrutiny.
The Supreme Court has already issued an order temporarily halting these deportations, a move met with dissent from Justices Thomas and Alito.… Continue reading
The Supreme Court temporarily halted the Trump administration’s deportation of Venezuelan nationals detained under the rarely used 1798 Alien Enemies Act. This act, previously invoked only during wartime, allows for the detention and deportation of citizens from “enemy” nations without standard legal processes. A lower court initially blocked the deportations, citing a lack of due process for the detainees, who were allegedly not given adequate notice or opportunity to challenge their removal. The Supreme Court’s ruling mandates that the government provide detainees with a chance to contest their deportation before removal, while Justices Thomas and Alito dissented.
Read More
Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen visited Kilmar Abrego Garcia, wrongly deported to El Salvador, meeting with him Thursday and speaking with his wife. This visit follows a court order mandating Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S., which the Trump administration has contested, claiming El Salvador holds ultimate authority. The meeting sparked immediate criticism from the White House, while Abrego Garcia’s wife expressed hope but continued concerns. The situation highlights a broader legal battle over the Trump administration’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport migrants to El Salvador’s CECOT detention center.
Read More
President Trump’s plan to send migrants to El Salvador’s CECOT facility raises serious concerns. Experts argue that CECOT, with its indefinite detention and lack of due process, more accurately resembles a concentration camp or penal colony than a prison. This characterization stems from CECOT’s harsh conditions and the Trump administration’s disregard for court orders halting the deportations. The administration’s justification, using the Alien Enemies Act, has faced legal challenges, and a judge found probable cause to hold them in contempt. The situation highlights the significant ethical and legal issues surrounding these forced removals.
Read More
Judge James Boasberg held the Trump administration in contempt for deporting individuals to El Salvador despite a court order halting deportations under the Alien Enemies Act. The judge found the administration’s actions demonstrated willful disregard for the order, citing the deportations’ timing and a lack of satisfactory explanation. The administration can avoid further consequences by providing hearings for the deported individuals, allowing them to challenge their deportation. However, failure to comply will result in identifying and prosecuting the responsible individual(s). The Supreme Court’s subsequent reversal of the restraining order does not excuse the administration’s contempt.
Read More
Nineteen-year-old Merwil Gutiérrez, a Venezuelan with no criminal record, was deported to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act despite having a pending U.S. immigration case. His deportation, along with that of hundreds of other Venezuelans, followed a pattern of unjustified arrests and deportations to a notorious prison, raising concerns about due process violations. This action, mirroring similar cases detailed in a 60 Minutes report, highlights the questionable practices of deporting individuals to countries where they lack connections, even in cases where no criminal activity is involved. The family is seeking his return, citing a lack of transparency and the violation of his legal rights.
Read More
Nineteen-year-old Merwil Gutiérrez, a Venezuelan asylum seeker in New York City, was mistakenly apprehended and deported to El Salvador’s Cecot prison by ICE agents, despite agents acknowledging their error. His family insists he has no criminal record or gang affiliations, yet he was deported under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a situation mirroring the wrongful deportation of another individual to the same facility. The Gutiérrez family is now without information regarding his status, raising serious concerns about due process and the accuracy of ICE operations. This incident highlights a broader Trump administration push for non-citizen removals, even those without criminal charges.
Read More
Ten more alleged Latin American gang members were deported to El Salvador, a move praised by Secretary of State Marco Rubio despite criticism over a previous deportation violating a court order. These deportations, utilizing the Alien Enemies Act, have sent hundreds to CECOT, a notorious prison described as a “living execution chamber.” The administration’s reliance on tattoos to identify gang members has been challenged, with evidence suggesting many deportees lack criminal records. The Supreme Court has allowed the continued use of the Act, despite ongoing legal challenges and accusations of human rights abuses within CECOT.
Read More
At a Border Security Expo, Trump administration officials, including acting ICE director Todd Lyons, advocated for a business-model approach to deportations, envisioning a system as efficient as Amazon Prime. Lyons praised the use of the Alien Enemies Act and proposed utilizing AI to expedite deportations. The administration plans to heavily rely on private sector contracts for this mass deportation agenda, echoing sentiments expressed by Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan. This initiative, however, has sparked significant concern and fear among immigrant communities and has even impacted travel between the US and Canada.
Read More
The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, lifted a restraining order blocking the Trump administration’s deportation of Venezuelan migrants to an El Salvadoran prison under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. This ruling forces migrants to pursue individual habeas corpus petitions in Texas courts, rather than a class-action suit in D.C., significantly hindering their legal recourse. The majority opinion, while claiming to ensure due process, allows the administration to circumvent established legal procedures and potentially subject migrants to indefinite detention without legal representation. Dissenting justices sharply criticized the decision, highlighting the administration’s disregard for the rule of law and comparing it to past injustices.
Read More
Matt Underwood 
John Q. Hosedrinker