President Donald Trump’s immigration policies are increasingly clashing with federal judges, as the administration faces legal challenges over its use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan gang members. The conflict centers on the executive’s claim of authority over national security and the judiciary’s role in reviewing these decisions. Federal courts have raised constitutional questions about whether the administration is overstepping its power to expedite deportations of illegal migrants without due process, potentially undermining the executive branch’s constitutional authority over foreign relations and national security.
The tension reached a critical point when two federal judges issued temporary injunctions against Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act. Judge Fernando Rodriguez in Texas and Judge Charlotte Sweeney in Colorado both ruled that Trump’s claim of an invasion by the Venezuelan-backed Tren de Aragua gang did not justify the expulsions without hearings. This marks the first time in U.S. history that a president’s assertion of national security authority has been challenged by federal courts. The White House’s unprecedented use of the act has also raised constitutional concerns about the separation of powers and the judiciary’s role in reviewing executive decisions on matters of war and national security.
Trump’s assertion that the gang constitutes a