HOUSTON, Texas – A federal court in Texas has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) halting deportations under the Alien Enemies Act for individuals detained at the El Valle Detention Center in Raymondville.
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The decision came just hours after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and its Texas chapter filed an emergency lawsuit challenging the use of the 1798 wartime statute for deportations.
The Court ruled that individuals targeted for deportation under the act are entitled to challenge their removal, with a requirement for meaningful notice and the opportunity to do so.
According to the ACLU, these Venezuelan asylum seekers face threats and violence back home, often from powerful criminal organizations.
The government, however, has attempted to use the AEA, a law from 1798 originally intended for use during wartime, to justify their removal.
The ACLU argues that this is a misapplication of the statute, especially since the U.S. is not at war with Venezuela.
According to court documents, authorities have reportedly invoked the law due to alleged ties between some of the individuals and the Tren de Aragua gang, though the gang is not a foreign government or military force.
While the Supreme Court recently ruled that people facing deportation under the AEA must be given notice and a chance to contest their removal, the ACLU says that’s not happening in practice.
They claim the detainees have been denied meaningful legal avenues to fight their deportation.
For now, the TRO provides temporary relief for the detainees, with a further hearing scheduled for Friday, April 11.