Judge rules against Trump administration, saying deported migrants are entitled

A federal judge has rejected the Trump administration's request to lift a temporary restraining order that bars the government from utilizing a wartime statute to expedite the deportation of Venezuelan migrants alleged to be violent gang members. Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued the ruling on Monday, focusing on whether the judiciary can intervene in a president's directive regarding the removal of undocumented migrants under the Alien Enemies Act.

"Before deportation can occur, these individuals are entitled to personalized hearings to assess the applicability of the Act to their circumstances," Boasberg stated. "Since the named plaintiffs contest their identification as members of Tren de Aragua, they cannot be deported until a court has evaluated the validity of their claims." During a hearing on Friday, Boasberg described President Donald Trump's application of the Alien Enemies Act to expedite the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members as "incredibly troubling and problematic." South Florida congressional representatives have reacted to Trump's termination of the humanitarian parole program.
On March 15, Boasberg granted a temporary restraining order following a lawsuit from five Venezuelans asserting they were wrongfully labeled as gang members and faced imminent deportation.
This order, which initially applied solely to the plaintiffs, was later broadened to protect all Venezuelans and included a directive for the Trump administration to halt the transfer of 261 detainees to a prison in El Salvador. However, the planes proceeded as scheduled, leading to questions about whether the Trump administration had disregarded Boasberg's directive.

The 14-day order prevents the Trump administration from deporting any undocumented migrants based solely on the Alien Enemies Act. Boasberg emphasized the limited scope of his ruling, clarifying that the government retains the authority to deport migrants under the Immigration and Nationality Act, which is the primary legislation governing U.S. citizenship.

Attorneys from the Department of Justice argued that Boasberg lacked the authority to issue the injunction. On Sunday, during an appearance on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures, Attorney General Pam Bondi criticized Boasberg as "an out-of-control judge" attempting to assert control over U.S. foreign policy.

Additionally, Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced plans to hold hearings regarding Boasberg's decisions and echoed the president's call for Boasberg's impeachment, which would require a simple majority in the House and two-thirds support in the Senate. "It increasingly appears as though Judge Boasberg is politically motivated against the president," Jordan commented on Fox News Monday. The administration asserts that "many" of the Venezuelans sent to the El Salvador prison do not have a U.S. criminal background.

A D.C. appeals court is scheduled to hear oral arguments later this afternoon regarding the Trump administration's attempt to overturn Boasberg's order. Bondi anticipates that the matter will ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court. For more details, visit: [Miami Herald](https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article302674179.html#storylink=cpy)