5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge criticizes SCOTUS for blocking Trump deportations under AEA

A 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge is criticizing the Supreme Court for blocking President Trump's deportations of two allegedly illegal Venezuelan migrants under the Alien Enemies Act.

Judge James Ho, a Trump appointee, wrote a concurring opinion Tuesday in which he argued the high court reversed the appeals court's unanimous decision that ruled the illegal immigrants, "identified as members of Tren de Aragua, a designated foreign terrorist organization, should not be allowed to proceed in this appeal" because of the court's lack of jurisdiction.

"As an inferior court, we’re duty-bound to follow Supreme Court rulings – whether we agree with them or not. We don’t have to like it. But we have to do it," Ho wrote.

He stated that he has "sincere concerns about how the district judge as well as the President and other officials have been treated in this case."

“I worry that the disrespect they have been shown will not inspire continued respect for the judiciary, without which we cannot long function,” Ho continued. 

The appeals court judge criticized former Presidents Clinton, Obama, and Biden, arguing Trump should be given the same amount of respect by the courts that they were.

“I doubt that any court would deny any of those Presidents the right to express their views in any pending case to which they are a party, before issuing any ruling. Our current President deserves the same respect,” Ho wrote. 

The Supreme Court on Friday afternoon blocked Trump from invoking the Alien Enemies Act to deport illegal migrants in Texas, throwing a curveball into the administration's crackdown on illegal immigration.

The high court sent the case back to a lower appeals court to decide underlying questions in the case, including how much notice those targeted for removal should receive, and whether the move itself was legal.