Overview

• U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr., a Trump appointee, issued a permanent injunction against the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan migrants from South Texas.
• The judge ruled that the administration’s invocation of the 18th-century wartime law exceeded its scope, as it requires an armed invasion or predatory incursion, which was not present.
• The deportations, including those to El Salvador’s CECOT prison, were criticized for targeting individuals without criminal records and relying on insufficient evidence like tattoos.
• The Trump administration has faced widespread judicial pushback, with courts and the Supreme Court previously imposing stays and procedural safeguards on AEA deportations.
• The administration continues to defy court orders to return wrongly deported Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia, citing unfiled domestic abuse allegations as justification.