The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily halted the deportation of a group of Venezuelan men held in immigration detention at the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Texas.
According to a statement released by the justices this morning, the government has been ordered to “refrain from deporting the alleged members of this group of detainees from the United States until further notice.”
The case involves dozens of Venezuelan nationals whom authorities have linked to the South American criminal organization Tren de Aragua, which was designated a terrorist group by the Trump administration. As part of his presidential campaign, Donald Trump vowed to crack down on illegal immigration and proposed fast-tracking the deportation of gang members under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.
According to attorneys, some of the detainees had already been placed on buses and informed of their imminent deportation without being given the opportunity to appeal — a violation of Supreme Court guidelines. Legal advocates across the country are calling for a minimum 30-day window to contest deportation orders.
The Trump administration has not specified how much time it plans to allow for appeals. The Department of Homeland Security stated that it is “complying with the Supreme Court’s order” but declined to disclose details of the operation, citing national security concerns.
Uncertainty surrounding the administration’s actions could escalate tensions between the executive and judicial branches. Experts warn that the situation has the potential to evolve into a full-scale constitutional crisis.
