The Supreme Court’s Jurisdictional Ruling: A Green Light for Deportations
In a decisive ruling on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that a lower federal court lacked the jurisdiction to adjudicate a lawsuit aimed at curbing the deportation of members from the violent Venezuelan Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang who are unlawfully residing in the United States.
The Court granted an emergency appeal from the Trump administration, effectively nullifying temporary restraining orders issued by a lower court that had impeded these deportations.
In an exuberant response, Trump declared, “The Supreme Court has upheld the Rule of Law in our Nation by allowing a President, whoever that may be, to secure our Borders and protect our families and our Country, itself. A GREAT DAY FOR JUSTICE IN AMERICA!”
This legal skirmish traces back to March, when Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, asserting that the U.S. was facing an “invasion” by criminal foreign nationals, including TdA members, a claim reported by The Center Square.
Subsequently, a lawsuit was initiated by five Venezuelans unlawfully present in the U.S., seeking to halt their deportations through a district court in Washington, D.C. This legal maneuver followed the removal of nearly 300 Venezuelans to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador, an event that was met with derision by the Salvadoran president, who claimed it was “too late” for any remedy, as reported by The Center Square.
Initially, a federal judge granted the request for restraining orders, citing a defiance of court orders by the Trump administration. However, the administration contested this ruling, appealing to the Supreme Court.
In a succinct three-and-a-half-page opinion, the Supreme Court stated, “We grant the application and vacate the TROs. The detainees seek equitable relief against the implementation of the Proclamation and against their removal under the AEA. They challenge the Government’s interpretation of the Act and assert that they do not fall within the category of removable alien enemies. But we do not reach those arguments.”
The Court’s opinion further elucidated that challenges under the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) must be pursued via habeas corpus and emphasized that the jurisdiction for such cases lies within “the district of confinement,” which is Texas, not Washington, D.C.
“The detainees are confined in Texas, so venue is improper in the District of Columbia. As a result, the Government is likely to succeed on the merits of this action,” the ruling affirmed.
Moreover, the opinion noted that the Fifth Amendment guarantees aliens due process in removal proceedings, asserting that detainees must be informed of their status following the order.
“Detainees subject to removal orders under the AEA are entitled to notice and an opportunity to challenge their removal,” the ruling stated. “The only question is which court will resolve that challenge,” which should occur in the district of confinement.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh authored a separate concurring opinion, while Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Amy Coney Barrett dissented. They argued that the administration’s actions were undertaken “without any due process of law” under the AEA, a law dating back to 1798 and intended for wartime scenarios.
After declaring an invasion at the southwestern border and classifying Mexican cartels and TdA as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, Trump contended that these entities were waging asymmetric warfare against Americans, as highlighted by The Center Square. This action was taken in response to a staggering influx of over 1 million Venezuelans entering the U.S. unlawfully during the Biden administration, many of whom were said to be involved in expanding criminal networks across 22 states.
The dissenting justices lamented the Supreme Court’s intervention, deeming it “inexplicable and dangerous.”
“In light of the U.S. Government’s unprecedented deportation of dozens of immigrants to a foreign prison without due process, a majority of this Court sees fit to vacate the District Court’s order. The rationale seems to be that the majority believes plaintiffs’ claims should have been filed in the districts of their detention. In reaching this decision, the majority disregards established jurisdictional limits, creates new legal precedents on an emergency docket, and overlooks the severe risks posed to individual detainees’ lives,” they stated.
As a result of this ruling, the deportation of Venezuelan TdA members currently residing illegally in the U.S. is set to proceed without delay.
Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.
