Supreme Court overturns Judge Boasberg, sides with Trump on deporting gang members under 1798 law

The Supreme Court in a 5-4 ruling on Monday handed President Donald Trump a major victory by allowing him to invoke the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport suspected gang members of Tren de Aragua for the time being. 

The ruling overturns U.S. District Judge James Boasberg's March 15 order that temporarily blocked deportations under the wartime act, by granting the Trump administration's request to vacate temporary restraining orders Boasberg placed on the order.

The justices slapped down Boasberg, noting the high court had already settled issues over the law in 1948 and limited judges' ability to interfere with the president under the law to a habeas petition.

The gang members' lawyers "challenge the Government’s interpretation of the Act and assert that they do not fall within the category of removable alien enemies. But we do not reach those arguments," the justice ruled. 

"Challenges to removal under the AEA, a statute which largely 'preclude[s] judicial review,' Ludecke v. Watkins, 335 U. S. 160, 163−164, (1948), must be brought in habeas," the ruling added.

The justices also poignantly slammed the judge and the lawyers in the case for what is called judge shopping, stating the plaintiffs were being held in a Texas detention center and had no right to have their case heard before Boasberg in Washington, D.C.

"The detainees are confined in Texas, so venue is improper in the District of Columbia," the justices declared.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.