The Supreme Court today suspended the expulsion under 18th century law of immigrants who are suspected of being members of a criminal organization.
The US president cited the law on foreign enemies last month to arrest Venezuela immigrants who are accused of being members of the Tren de Aragua gang before deporting them to a high -security prison.
“The government is ordered not to remove any member from this category of prisoners from the US until there is a new ruling by this court,” the court ruling said.
This decision follows an emergency appeal by lawyers specializing in human rights to stop the expulsion of immigrants who are currently being held in facilities in Texas.
The organization to defend ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) said in its emergency appeal last night that the Venezuelan team held in Texas was informed that they would be “expelled” under the law on foreign enemies.
Lawyers said their clients are not members of Tren de Aragua, they did not commit any crime and that they are mainly targeted because of their tattoos.
The law has only been used in times of war
The law on foreign enemies of 1798 had been used only in times of war, especially against Japanese and German nationals on US territory during World War II.
On Wednesday, a judge in Washington said that the Trump government “deliberately ignored” his decision to ban the expulsion of immigrants under this law, finding that there is a “reasonable reason” to accuse the Trump government of disrespect for the court.
On March 15, federal judge James Bosberg banned the government from exporting immigrants exclusively the law of 1798.
The Supreme Court was banned on April 8th. He ruled, however, that the persons deported under this law would be able to “challenge” their removal from the country.
ACLU said in its appeal that immigrants to Texas were in danger of being “expelled from the US without warning or the opportunity to be heard”. “Many people have already boarded buses, apparently to the airport,” the organization said.
