• A federal judge ruled that President Trump can use the Alien Enemies Act to deport accused Venezuelan gang members.
• Judge Stephanie Haines emphasized the requirement for at least 21 days’ notice before deportation.
• The ruling is the first of its kind to back Trump’s interpretation of the Alien Enemies Act since it was invoked in March.
• Conflicting decisions from other judges in Texas and Colorado have challenged this interpretation.
• The ruling is expected to escalate legal battles regarding immigration policy and deportation authority.

A federal judge in Pennsylvania has ruled that President Trump can invoke the 1798 Alien Enemies Act (AEA) to fast-track deportations of alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines, appointed by Trump, is the first to support the administration's position that the gang qualifies as a foreign terrorist organization under AEA, permitting their removal from the U.S. She mandated that deportees must receive at least 21 days' notice in both English and Spanish before deportation, contrasting sharply with reports of some being removed in as little as 12 hours, according to The Hill, Reuters, and India Times.

In her ruling, Judge Haines underscored the importance of due process, stating that individuals facing deportation must be given the opportunity to challenge their removals, a stance welcomed by the ACLU, which has pledged to appeal her decision. Previous rulings from judges in Texas, New York, and Colorado have declared that Trump's invocation of the AEA to expedite the deportation of Venezuelans was illegal, indicating that the law was originally intended for use only during wartime scenarios involving invasions, as reported by NPR, Reuters, and India Times.

The ruling follows significant legal scrutiny of the Trump administration’s approach, especially concerning its handling of deportations involving accused gang members. Haines noted that despite her approval for the use of the AEA in her jurisdiction, significant questions remain about the broader applicability of the law, including its use against individuals not involved in organized armed conflict. Earlier, the administration began deporting individuals it classified as Tren de Aragua members to prisons in El Salvador, raising concerns about due process violations among deportees, as highlighted by India Times and NPR.

Furthermore, Haines’s ruling lifts a previous block on deportations that prevented the government from using the AEA against migrants in certain districts. This decision is juxtaposed with another federal ruling in Texas, where deportations were temporarily barred under similar legal arguments concerning due process. The ongoing legal battles and differing judicial rulings signify a complex and contentious landscape for immigration in the United States, as stated by The Hill, NPR, and Reuters.