Trump invokes wartime powers to target Venezuelan gang members

16/3/2025 6:16

A federal judge on Saturday temporarily blocked the U.S. government from deporting some Venezuelans after two non-profit groups sued saying President Donald Trump could invoke a wartime law to accelerate deportations of undocumented migrants.



The American Civil Liberties Union and another nonprofit group, Democracy Forward, filed the lawsuit earlier on Saturday.



The groups said in the lawsuit that the use of the Aliens Enemies Act of 1798 was "imminent," which it said would be illegal as it has only been "a power invoked in a time of war, and plainly only applies to warlike actions."



While the court did not rule on the war times act, it granted a temporary restraining order, stopping the government from deporting five Venezuelans for 14 days. The ACLU said in its lawsuit that they are seeking asylum.