A federal judge has issued a groundbreaking ruling that could reshape U.S. immigration enforcement, allowing the government to deport certain Venezuelan nationals suspected of ties to organized crime under an obscure wartime law.
The case centered on the Alien Enemies Act, a statute from 1798 rarely used in modern times, which grants the president authority to detain or remove nationals of hostile foreign entities during times of war or conflict.
Judge Stephanie Haines of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania upheld the Biden administration’s March directive that labeled Tren de Aragua—a powerful Venezuelan gang—as a hostile foreign organization.
Her decision came after months of legal debate and marks the first time the act has been successfully applied to a transnational criminal network rather than a formal state enemy.
Under the ruling, immigration authorities can now deport individuals who are Venezuelan nationals aged 14 or older, lack legal status in the U.S., and have been identified by law enforcement as having affiliations with the gang.