President Trump blasted a recent ruling that bars his administration from using the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan gang members. He warned that allowing judges to override his orders could leave communities less safe.
Key Facts:
- Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act in March to target alleged members of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang.
- U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ruled the 18th-century law applies only to organized armed forces, not criminal gangs.
- The administration already used the law to send over 100 men to a high-security prison in El Salvador.
- The Justice Department plans to appeal Rodriguez’s decision and explore other legal paths for deportation.
The Rest of The Story:
After Judge Rodriguez’s decision, Trump took to Truth Social to vent his frustration.
“Can it be so that Judges aren’t allowing the USA to Deport Criminals, including Murderers, out of our Country and back to where they came from?” he wrote.
He added, “If this is so, our Country, as we know it, is finished! Americans will have to get used to a very different, crime filled, LIFE. This is not what our Founders had in mind!!!”
In his 36-page opinion, Rodriguez found no indication that Venezuela directed an armed invasion of the United States.
He concluded that the proclamation did not describe conduct falling within the Act’s original meaning of “invasion.” The judge therefore barred the administration from applying the law against the Tren de Aragua gang.
BREAKING: Fernando Rodriguez Jr., a US District Court Judge, has issued an order declaring that President Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act against Venezuelan illegal aliens in Texas is "unlawful." pic.twitter.com/HQEMQmGvXI
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 1, 2025
The Alien Enemies Act dates to the four Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 under President John Adams.
Modern presidents rarely invoke it.
Trump’s move marked the most dramatic use of this law in decades, as his team presses an aggressive immigration agenda.
Commentary:
Federal judges hold a vital role, but this decision reads more like politics than law.
Trump has every right to expect courts to back his drive against violent criminals.
Sentencing and removal of dangerous gang members protect Americans.
Under the Biden administration, millions crossed the border with little oversight. Many received benefits on the taxpayer dime without clear checks.
The public voted for tougher enforcement and better security.
Trump ran on deporting criminals without delay. He won office promising to put public safety first.
Blocking his orders in court lets convicted or accused gang members stay free here.
That undercuts voters’ will.
The bench treats these foreigners as if they were U.S. citizens with full rights.
Judges should not make policy by blocking every move to remove criminals.
This cycle of rulings must end for the safety of American families.
The Bottom Line:
This clash tests whether an 18th-century law can meet modern demands for security.
Trump’s team will press the case through appeals and new strategies.
The outcome will shape how far presidents can go in using rare statutes to deport dangerous foreign criminals.
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