A judge ruled on Monday that Venezuelan migrants targeted for deportation by the Trump administration under a rarely used 18th-century law must be allowed to challenge the decision. This ruling came as the judge rejected the government’s request to lift a temporary ban on such deportations.
Republican President Donald Trump earlier this month invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to justify the deportation of alleged members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua without final removal orders from immigration judges.
In an order on Monday, Washington-based U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said the people the Trump administration is seeking to deport under the law must be given the chance to challenge the government’s assertion that they are indeed members of Tren de Aragua.
The judge also rejected the Trump administration’s request to set aside a two-week ban on deportations under the Alien Enemies Act he imposed on March 15, meaning the ban remains in place.
Trump Calls For Judge’s Impeachment
The ban prompted Trump to call for Boasberg impeachment in a process that could lead to his removal. In response, U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts issued a rare statement rebuking Trump and stating that appeals, not impeachment, are the proper response to disagreements with judicial decisions.
Boasberg is also weighing whether the Trump administration violated his order by failing to return deportation flights that landed in El Salvador, where the migrants are being held, after his order was issued.
Separately, a federal appeals court is due to hear arguments on Monday at 1:30 p.m. from government lawyers seeking to halt Boasberg’s order.
Trump Targets Venezuela
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that any country that buys oil or gas from Venezuela will pay a 25% tariff on any trades made with the United States.
This “secondary tariff” will take effect on April 2, Trump said in a Truth Social post. Trump said he is imposing the move because, he said, Venezuela has sent “tens of thousands” of people to the United States who have a “very violent nature.”
Earlier this month, Trump issued a 30-day wind down of a license that the U.S. had granted to Chevron since 2022 to operate in Venezuela and export its oil, after he accused President Nicolas Maduro of not making progress on electoral reforms and migrant returns.
(With inputs from Reuters)
