On Thursday, May 1, 2025, a Texas federal judge prohibited the Donald Trump administration from using the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act to expedite the expulsion of Venezuelan detainees.
Judge Fernando Rodríguez, a Trump appointee, ruled in response to a lawsuit after the Supreme Court blocked these expulsions on April 19, 2025. The ruling permanently bars the government from using the law, previously reserved for wartime, to expel Venezuelans accused of belonging to the Tren de Aragua criminal organization.
Rodríguez clarified that the government could pursue expulsions under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The judge stated that the President's invocation of the AEA exceeded the scope of the statute, deeming it unlawful.