In a major legal blow to the Trump administration, a federal judge has ruled that migrants deported under a wartime-era statute must be given the opportunity to challenge their removals in U.S. courts.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg determined that individuals removed under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, particularly a group of Venezuelan men deported to El Salvador, were denied their constitutional right to due process. Many of these migrants had been accused of gang ties, specifically to the group Tren de Aragua, but had no criminal records or confirmed affiliations.
The ruling came after reports showed these deportations were carried out without notifying the individuals or offering a chance to respond to the allegations. Judge Boasberg stated that the government must now provide a legal path for these migrants to contest both the deportations and the accusations that led to their removal.
The group of nearly 140 men was reportedly sent to a maximum-security facility in El Salvador. The administration had invoked the Alien Enemies Act to justify the swift removals, citing national security concerns.
Despite the administration defending its actions as a necessary measure to protect the country, the court’s decision reasserts that constitutional protections must apply—even to non-citizens—when government actions impact their liberty.
This ruling marks another challenge to the administration’s aggressive immigration policies, setting a precedent that even under emergency powers, the right to a fair hearing cannot be ignored.