Trump just got a huge win.
A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration can legally deport criminal illegal immigrants affiliated with Venezuela’s brutal Tren de Aragua gang, using the historic Alien Enemies Act—a rarely used law designed to protect Americans during times of foreign threat.
This is a major step forward in President Trump’s bold immigration crackdown, aimed at restoring law and order and defending national sovereignty. But while the judge backed Trump’s authority, she also said deportations must be paused until proper legal notice is given to those targeted—opening the door for possible legal challenges from the Left.
In a detailed 43-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines, a Trump appointee, stood firm on the administration’s power to act. “The Court has done its duty,” she wrote, adding that it’s now up to elected officials—and ultimately the voters—to decide whether America will continue enforcing its immigration laws.
President Trump’s executive order, issued on March 14, invoked the Alien Enemies Act to address what he called “an invasion” by the Tren de Aragua gang, a dangerous Venezuelan criminal cartel known for drug trafficking, kidnapping, and human smuggling across the U.S. southern border.
The court ruling covers Venezuelan nationals in the U.S. illegally, aged 14 and older, who have been designated as members of a foreign terrorist organization. It does not apply to lawful permanent residents or naturalized citizens.
This decision sends a strong message that America will no longer tolerate foreign criminals exploiting our broken immigration system.
But not everyone agrees.
In a conflicting opinion earlier this month, Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr., another Trump appointee, argued that while deportation of illegal aliens is legal, using the Alien Enemies Act for this purpose may exceed its original intent. “The president’s use of the statute,” he wrote, “goes beyond what the law was meant to authorize.”
This judicial divide sets the stage for a potential Supreme Court showdown, with the future of Trump’s tough-on-crime immigration policy hanging in the balance.
Why It Matters to You
Americans across the country—especially seniors and families living near the border—have seen firsthand the deadly consequences of unchecked illegal immigration. Violent foreign gangs like Tren de Aragua pose a direct threat to public safety, yet progressive judges and open-border activists continue to fight efforts to remove them.
This ruling is a reminder that President Trump is fighting to put Americans first, restore the rule of law, and protect our borders from criminal invaders.