A Judge Just Approved Trump’s Wartime Law to Deport Venezuelans—Here’s Why It’s Still a Legal Mess

A federal judge in Pennsylvania just became the first to allow President Trump’s use of a centuries-old war law to fast-track the deportation of Venezuelan migrants accused of gang ties—but even she admitted the process is flawed.

Judge Stephanie Haines, a Trump appointee, ruled that the government can invoke the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. But she also said the way the administration is handling these removals violates basic constitutional rights. Her order requires that migrants get at least 21 days’ notice and a chance to fight deportation in court.

The decision stands out because it breaks with rulings from judges in Colorado, New York, and South Texas, who all said Trump’s use of the law was illegal and blocked such deportations in their regions. Just hours after the Pennsylvania ruling, a different federal judge in West Texas issued another block, further deepening the legal divide.

This creates a split among courts that could eventually land at the U.S. Supreme Court.

So far, the Alien Enemies Act—originally designed for use during wartime—has only been invoked three times before Trump, and always during actual armed conflicts. Trump is using it now to justify removing migrants accused of being in a gang he’s labeled a foreign terrorist organization. But U.S. intelligence agencies say there’s no evidence that the Venezuelan government is coordinating any kind of attack on the U.S. through Tren de Aragua, a critical point that weakens Trump’s argument.

The first mass deportation under the law happened back in March, when over 130 Venezuelans were quickly sent to a prison in El Salvador, sparking lawsuits and protests. Since then, deportations under this law have been paused in several court districts.

Immigrant advocates, including the ACLU, are now calling on the Supreme Court to step in and clarify what rights migrants have before removal under this law, and whether Trump’s use of it is even legal in the first place. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is asking the high court to lift blocks on deportations from states like Texas, arguing they’ve followed all required procedures.

The Pennsylvania ruling, while a win for Trump on paper, still points out major flaws in how his administration is carrying out these deportations. And with legal challenges piling up, the future of this controversial policy remains uncertain.