Judge allows use of Alien Enemies Act for deportations

A federal judge in Pennsylvania ruled on Tuesday that the United States can use the Alien Enemies Act to fast-track the deportation of accused Venezuelan gang members, in what appears to be the first court ruling that backs the Donald Trump administration’s interpretation of the 1798 law.

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Judge Stephanie Haines, of the US District for the Western District of Pennsylvania, ruled that President Donald Trump has authority to declare the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organisation and deport its members under the Alien Enemies Act, but she criticised the administration's practice of deporting people sometimes “within a matter of hours.”