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Former First Lady Reveals The Trump Policy That ‘Keeps Her Awake At Night’

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FLOTUS at Fayetteville, N.C. -The Arts Center speech Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

Former first ladyย Michelle Obamaย expressed fear over Presidentย Donald Trump’s immigration policies, saying they have kept her up at night.ย 

“Now that we have leadership that is sort of indiscriminately determining who belongs and who doesn’t,” the former first lady said Monday during an appearance on the podcast “On Purpose with Jay Shetty,” adding that such deportation decisions “aren’t being made with courts and with due process.” 

“I worry for people of color all over this country, and I don’t know that we will have the advocates to protect everybody,” she continued. “And that makes me โ€ฆ that frightens me. It keeps me up at night.” 

“And I and I see that when I’m driving around LA. I’m just looking in the faces of folks who could be a victim and I’m wondering, how are you feeling, how do you feel standing on the bus stop,” she said. 

“In this current climate, for me itโ€™s whatโ€™s happening to immigrants,” Obama said when asked about “recent tests of fear” related to individuals facing discrimination over the color of their skin. 

Obama noted that the “fear” does not personally impact her as a former first lady who has police protection. 

“Itโ€™s not the fear for myself anymore,” she continued. “I drive around in a four-car motorcade with a police escort. Iโ€™m Michelle Obama. I do still worry about my daughters in the world, even though they are somewhat recognizable.”

“My fears are for what I know is happening out there in streets all over the city,” she added, referring to her hometown of Chicago. 

During a Monday White House briefing to discuss border enforcement during President Donald Trumpโ€™s first hundred days border czar Tom Homan said that under Trump, unlawful crossings were โ€œhistorically lowโ€ and that the border was the most secure it has ever been. Homan drew a sharp contrast to the record number of illegal immigrants that entered the United States under the Biden administration.

โ€œEvery president I ever worked for took border security seriously because you canโ€™t have national security if you donโ€™t have strong border security,โ€ Homan said. โ€œEven President Obama and President Clinton took some steps to secure the border because they understood national security was important. Joe Biden is the first president in the history of this nation who came into office and unsecured a border on purpose. Thatโ€™s just a fact.โ€

Homan accused the Biden administration of weaponizing its immigration policies, motivated by the desire that a future Democrat president would give illegal immigrants released into the country amnesty, saying Biden was โ€œselling this country off for future political power.โ€

Watch:

Contrasting Biden and Trump, Homan said that between 11,000-15,000 people were crossing the border illegally per day this time of the year under Biden, while under Trump, just 178 had crossed in the last 24 hours. During the same time, he said there were 1,800 known โ€œgotawaysโ€ under Biden, compared to just 38 under Trump. Homan added that from January 20 to April 1, 2024, Biden released 184,000 illegals out of federal custody into the country. The Trump administration has only released nine total, including four so they could testify in criminal cases and four with extreme medical conditions.

In total, Homan said that there have been 139,000 deportations under Trump. He added that the administration was prioritizing the estimated 700,000 illegals who have been charged with crimes.

Stephen Miller Reportedly Sidelined By Trump Admin.

By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54346096651/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=160407812

White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller โ€” long viewed as one of the chief architects of President Donald Trumpโ€™s hardline immigration agenda โ€” is reportedly losing influence inside the administration as other top officials gain the presidentโ€™s ear.

According to a new report from The Atlantic journalists Michael Scherer and Nick Miroff, Trump has privately expressed concern that Millerโ€™s aggressive instincts sometimes go too far, marking a notable shift for one of the presidentโ€™s most loyal and powerful longtime advisers.

The report claims Trump โ€œhas also told others in recent weeks that he understands Miller sometimes goes too far.โ€ The alleged change reportedly became more noticeable following unrest in Minneapolis and the death of protester Alex Pretti.

Trump reportedly โ€œrecognized immediately after the second killing in Minneapolis, of the protester Alex Pretti, that the policy needed to shift.โ€ Miller, however, took a far more confrontational tone, referring to Pretti as a โ€œdomestic terroristโ€ in the aftermath of the incident.

For years, Miller has been one of the most influential figures in Trumpโ€™s orbit. The former Senate aide rose to prominence during Trumpโ€™s first campaign in 2016 and quickly became the driving force behind many of the administrationโ€™s toughest immigration policies, including travel bans, refugee restrictions, and mass deportation proposals.

Unlike many Trump officials who cycled in and out of the administration, Miller built a uniquely durable relationship with the president. His fiery populist rhetoric and uncompromising stance on immigration made him a hero to many MAGA voters, while critics accused him of pushing excessively punitive policies.

But according to The Atlantic, recent months have revealed growing divisions within the administration over how aggressively to pursue Trumpโ€™s immigration crackdown.

The report states that Trump backed away from several Miller-backed initiatives after consulting with border czar Tom Homan and other officials. One major example involved a proposal to slash seasonal worker visas by 50%, a move that reportedly alarmed business interests and other administration figures.

โ€œThe new secretary is listening to Tom Homan and Rodney Scott before he is ever listening to Stephen Miller,โ€ one senior administration official told Scherer and Miroff.

Another former official summed up Millerโ€™s changing position bluntly: โ€œThe president knows who he is, period.โ€

The Atlantic also reported that while there have been no known clashes between Homan and Miller, the two men have promoted very different strategies for carrying out Trumpโ€™s mass-deportation agenda.

Miller has reportedly pushed for maximizing deportation numbers as quickly as possible, while Homan has favored a more targeted approach focused on illegal immigrants with criminal records.

โ€œThere have been no accounts of clashes or tension between Homan and Miller, and the former has even praised the latter as โ€˜one of the most brilliant people Iโ€™ve met in my entire life,โ€™โ€ the report noted.

Still, Homanโ€™s influence appears to be growing.

According to the report, the Department of Homeland Security has quietly reversed several changes Miller pushed earlier in Trumpโ€™s second term. One key example involved accelerated training for new ICE recruits.

Miller had reportedly advocated for shortening ICE academy training to roughly eight weeks in an effort to rapidly expand deportation operations. Veteran officers reportedly warned that the abbreviated training created serious concerns, especially as dropout rates surged among recruits.

โ€œIn recent weeks, ICE reverted to a four-and-a-half-month training program similar to its former academy course,โ€ the report stated, citing three officials familiar with the matter.

Despite the apparent shift, insiders told The Atlantic that Miller remains deeply embedded in Trumpโ€™s inner circle and is not expected to leave the administration anytime soon.

โ€œWhite House insiders said that Miller remains a top adviser to the president, that he has a singular relationship to Trump built over the past decade, and that his job is not in jeopardy,โ€ Scherer and Miroff reported.

The claims stand in stark contrast to earlier reporting that portrayed Miller as perhaps the single most influential policy figure in Trumpโ€™s second administration.

A bombshell report published by The New York Times in March suggested Miller had effectively become the driving force behind major Justice Department priorities.

โ€œIt was clear from the start that Mr. Miller, who is not a lawyer, would exercise control inside the department, current and former Trump aides said,โ€ the Times reported at the time.

Whether Millerโ€™s reported decline in influence proves temporary or permanent remains unclear. But the emerging picture suggests that even some of Trumpโ€™s most trusted allies are now competing for influence as the administration navigates mounting political and public pressure over immigration enforcement and domestic unrest.

DOJ To Investigate Officials Who Obstruct Immigration Enforcement

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Illegal Immigration in the United State via Wikimedia Commons

The Justice Department wants federal prosecutors across the country to investigate state or local officials who obstruct immigration enforcement under Presidentย Donald Trump’sย new administration

According to a new memo shared by the Trump Administration, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, Trump’s former defense attorney, outlines “interim decisions and policy changes” pending the confirmation of Trumpโ€™s nominee for U.S. Attorney General, Pam Bondi. He said interim changes are necessary as an initial response to Trumpโ€™s executive orders regarding “three of the most serious threats facing the American people.”ย 

Those threats, Bove wrote, are cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, such as Tren de Aragua (TdA) and La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), which “are a scourge on society resulting in an unstable and unsafe border and huge flows of illegal immigration in violation of U.S. law.” The memo said the second threat is how “brutal and intolerable violent crime by members of these organizations and illegal aliens is escalating rapidly across the country.” The third threat defined by Bove is how the “fentanyl crisis and opioid epidemic are poisoning our communities and have inflicted an unprecedented toll of addiction, suffering, and death.” 

“Theย Justice Departmentย must, and will, work to eradicate these threats,” Bove wrote. “Indeed, it is the responsibility of the Justice Department to defend the Constitution and, accordingly, to lawfully execute the policies that the American people elected President Trump to implement. The Justice Department’s responsibility, proudly shouldered by each of its employees, includes aggressive enforcement of laws enacted by Congress, as well as vigorous defense of the President’s actions on behalf of the United States against legal challenges. The Department’s personnel must come together in the offices that taxpayers have funded to do this vitally important work.”ย 

The memo states that the Supremacy Clause of theย U.S. Constitutionย and other authorities “require state and local actors to comply with the Executive Branch’s immigration enforcement activities.”ย 

Bove reiterated how “federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing, and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands and requests, pursuant to, for example, the President’s extensive Article II authority with respect to foreign affairs and national security, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and the Alien Enemies Act.” 

Bove said U.S. Attorneys Offices “and litigating components of the Department of Justice shall investigate incidents involving any such misconduct for potential prosecution, including for obstructing federal functions” in violation of federal statutes.

The Chicago Police Department is refusing to assist with upcoming deportations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across the Windy City.

Chicago officials took a vow of their own to not comply after Trump laid out plans to tackle issues surrounding illegal immigration and the U.S. border.

Chicago police said the municipal code includes legislation that prevents them from assisting federal immigration authorities with enforcement based on immigration status. The department also noted it does not document immigration status, nor does it share the immigration status of individuals with federal authorities.

City ordinance requires a supervisor to respond to the scene if an immigration agency requests assistance with a civil immigration enforcement operation.

“To be clear, the Chicago Police Department will not assist or intervene in civil immigration enforcement in accordance with the City of Chicago Municipal Code,” the police departmentโ€™s statement read. “As always, we will continue to enforce the law if a crime occurs, regardless of the citizenship status of those involved.”

Appeals Court Allows Trump Administration to Continue Third-Country Deportations

A federal appeals court ruled Monday that the Trump administration may continue swiftly deporting migrants while a legal challenge to the policy proceeds.

In a 2โ€“1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit allowed the deportations to continue and moved to speed up the timeline for the next stage of the case. The panel issued its order without an accompanying explanation.

The Trump administration has expanded the use of โ€œthird-country removalsโ€ as part of its broader immigration crackdown, deporting migrants to nations other than their countries of origin. The administration has reached agreements with several countries โ€” including Cameroon, South Sudan and Eswatini โ€” to accept deportees.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has defended the policy as a way to remove individuals it describes as particularly dangerous.

In court filings, the administration has also argued that federal judges lack the authority to intervene in how immigration enforcement policies are carried out.

The majority on the three-judge panel included Judge Jeffrey Howard, nominated by former President George W. Bush, and Judge Seth Aframe, a nominee of former President Joe Biden. Judge Lara Montecalvo, also nominated by Biden, dissented.

The ruling lifts limits imposed by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, another Biden nominee, who is overseeing a class-action lawsuit filed last year by four noncitizens challenging the deportation policy.

Murphy ruled last month that the administration could not deport migrants to third countries without first attempting to send them to their country of citizenship or another country with which they have ties.

โ€œIt is not fine, nor is it legal,โ€ Murphy wrote in his decision.

His order required immigration authorities to first attempt deportation to a migrantโ€™s country of citizenship or the country normally designated for removal. If that effort failed, Murphy said migrants must be given a โ€œmeaningful opportunityโ€ to challenge their deportation once a third country is selected.

Murphy delayed the implementation of his ruling to allow the appeals court time to weigh in. The 1st Circuitโ€™s order keeps his decision on hold while the appeal moves forward.

Trina Realmuto, executive director of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, which represents the migrants, said the group welcomed the expedited timeline.

โ€œWhile the order unfortunately delays implementation of the decision, we appreciate that the First Circuit ordered a swift resolution of the merits of the governmentโ€™s appeal,โ€ Realmuto said.

The dispute has already reached the Supreme Court once. Last year, the Trump administration successfully appealed to the high court after Murphy imposed earlier limits on the policy.

In a statement following Mondayโ€™s ruling, a DHS spokesperson said the courtโ€™s decision supports the administrationโ€™s position.

โ€œThe Biden Administration allowed millions of illegal aliens to flood our country, and the Trump Administration has the authority to remove these criminal illegal aliens and clean up this national security nightmare,โ€ the spokesperson said. โ€œIf these activist judges had their way, aliens who are so uniquely barbaric that their own countries wonโ€™t take them back, including convicted murderers, child rapists and drug traffickers, would walk free on American streets.โ€

Trump Administration Delivers Historic Border Security Win โ€” Lowest Apprehensions Since 1970

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Trump at the border wall via Wikimedia Commons

The Trump administration has closed fiscal year 2025 with a historic milestone on border security โ€” the lowest U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions in more than five decades, according to preliminary enforcement data released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Border agents recorded 237,565 apprehensions in fiscal year 2025 โ€” slightly above the 201,780 apprehensions in 1970 but dramatically below recent levels. The numbers represent an 87% drop compared to the average of the past four fiscal years (1.86 million apprehensions) and showcase what can happen when the federal government finally enforces immigration laws.

This achievement came even though 72% of this yearโ€™s total apprehensions happened during the final 111 days of the Biden administration โ€” before President Trump returned to office and immediately began reversing his predecessorโ€™s โ€œopen-borderโ€ policies.

โ€œFiscal year 2025 shows what happens when we enforce the law without compromise,โ€ said CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott. โ€œFor too long, agents and officers were handcuffed by failed policies. Today they are empowered to do their jobs โ€” and the result is the most secure border in modern history.โ€


Reversing Bidenโ€™s Border Chaos

When President Trump took office in January 2025, he inherited what many described as a border crisis fueled by Bidenโ€™s mass-release policies. In just the first 111 days of the fiscal year, under Bidenโ€™s watch, 172,026 apprehensions occurred โ€” nearly three-quarters of the yearโ€™s total.

But once Trumpโ€™s immigration directives took effect, the situation changed dramatically. Over the next 254 days, apprehensions plummeted to 65,539 โ€” just 27% of the fiscal yearโ€™s total.

September 2025 alone saw only about 279 apprehensions per day along the Southwest border โ€” a staggering 95% decline compared to the Biden-era daily average of 5,110. It also marked the fifth consecutive month of zero illegal immigrant releases by Border Patrol โ€” a stark contrast to 9,144 releases in September 2024.

Across all entry points, CBP recorded roughly 26,000 total encounters in September, down 89% from Bidenโ€™s monthly averages.


Strong Action From Day One

President Trump wasted no time taking decisive action to reestablish border control:

  • Deployed additional personnel to the southern border.
  • Ended โ€œcatch-and-releaseโ€, ensuring illegal migrants are no longer released while awaiting hearings.
  • Shut down Bidenโ€™s CBP One app parole loophole, later repurposing the app to help migrants self-deport.
  • Paused parole programs and authorized ICE to cancel parole statuses.
  • Ordered strict enforcement of existing immigration laws, restoring morale and authority to frontline border agents.

These policies stand in sharp contrast to Bidenโ€™s approach, which relied on controversial โ€œparoleโ€ programs and insisted on new legislation instead of acting on existing laws.

Report: Appeals Court Blocks Trump Admin’s Deportation Flights

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Image via Pixabay

A federal appellate court declined to issue a stay on a lower court’s orders in a suit challenging the Trump administration‘s authority to deport Venezuelan nationals via a 1798 wartime law. 

In a 2-1 decision Wednesday, a three-judge panel sided with the plaintiffs in the suit, further blocking the Trump administration’s ability to move forward with its deportation agenda. 

Judges Karen Henderson, Patricia Millett, and Justin Walker of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals presided over Monday’s oral arguments, which they agreed to hear last week on an expedited basis. 

In a concurring opinion of the ruling, Henderson, a Bush appointee, said: “At this early stage, the government has yet to show a likelihood of success on the merits. The equities favor the plaintiffs. And the district court entered the TROs for a quintessentially valid purpose: to protect its remedial authority long enough to consider the partiesโ€™ arguments.

“Accordingly, and for the foregoing reasons, the request to stay the district courtโ€™s TROs should be denied.”

Their decision could ultimately be kicked to the Supreme Court for further review.  

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Trump Border Czar Warns California Officials Can Be Arrested If They Disrupt ICE Raids

By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America - Thomas Homan, CC BY-SA 2.0,

Things are escalating…

On Sunday, Border czar Tom Homan warned California officials could face arrest and prosecution if they โ€œcross the lineโ€ following President Trumpโ€™s deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles to quell ongoing immigration protests.

Trump ordered at least 2,000 National Guard members to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after two days of clashes with demonstrators, despite state and city leaders saying they had not asked for assistance.

Homan said Trumpโ€™s order was not only to protect law enforcement officers but also to โ€œprotect this community.โ€

โ€œThe rhetoric is so high against ICE officers in this city that itโ€™s a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt,โ€ Homan told NBC Newsโ€™s Jacob Soboroff in an interview slated for broadcast Sunday night. โ€œWeโ€™ve got help coming, and weโ€™re going to do our job, and weโ€™re going to continue doing that job.โ€

On Sunday morning, Newsom, in a post on the social platform X, claimed the federal government is โ€œtaking over the California National Guardโ€ because โ€œthey want a spectacle.โ€

โ€œDonโ€™t give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully,โ€ he added.

In the NBC News interview, Homan bashed Newsomโ€™s comments and called him โ€œan embarrassment for the state.โ€

โ€œI have absolutely no respect for this governor,โ€ Homan said. โ€œCriminal aliens are walking in this state every day because of his government policy. I donโ€™t care what the governor thinks of me. Iโ€™m not running a popularity contest.โ€

Attorney General Sues New York Over ‘Prioritizing Illegal Immigrants’

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Governor Kathy Hochul and MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber make a subway safety announcement at the NYCT Rail Control Center (RCC) on Wednesday, Mar 6, 2024. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)

Attorney General Pam Bondi Trump filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the state of New York and its governor, Kathy Hochul, and Attorney General Letitia James, alleging a failure to comply with federal law by shielding illegal immigrants.

Bondi said Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and state DMV head Mark Schroeder treated their stateโ€™s residents like second-class citizens.

โ€œWeโ€™re here today because we have filed charges against the state of New York,โ€ Bondi said at a 5 p.m. ET news conference. โ€œWe have filed charges against Kathy Hochul. We have filed charges against Letitia James and Mark Schroeder, who is with DMV. This is a new DOJ, and we are taking steps to protect Americans โ€“ American citizens.โ€

Bondi invoked a similar suit the DOJ filed against the state of Illinois a week ago and added, โ€œNew York didnโ€™t listen. So now, youโ€™re next.โ€

โ€œIf you are a state not complying with federal law, youโ€™re next,โ€ she said. โ€œGet ready. And the great men and women of law enforcement are standing behind me today. We have FBI, DEF, DEA, ATF agents. They put their lives on the line every single day to protect us.โ€

Bondi alleged New York had given a โ€œgreen light to any illegal alien in New York where law enforcement officers cannot check their identity if they pull them over.โ€ She concluded:

Law enforcement officers do not have access to their background, and if these great men and women pull over someone and donโ€™t have access to their background, they have no idea who theyโ€™re dealing with, and it puts their lives on the line every single day. Violent criminals, gang members, drug traffickers, human smugglers will no longer terrorize the American people, and that is why we are here today. You will be held accountable if you do not follow federal law. Itโ€™s over, it ends, and weโ€™re coming after you.

Mother Of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavittโ€™s Nephew Nabbed By ICE

Federal immigration authorities have detained the mother of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavittโ€™s nephew, a woman who officials say overstayed a decades-old tourist visa. Bruna Caroline Ferreira was taken into custody in Revere, Massachusetts, after allegedly remaining in the United States illegally since her B2 visa expired in June 1999, according to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson quoted by NBC News.

Ferreira, originally from Brazil, shares an 11-year-old son with Leavittโ€™s older brother, Michael Leavitt. In a statement to New Hampshire outlet WMUR, Michael emphasized his sonโ€™s welfare amid the situation. โ€œThe only concern has always been the safety, well-being, and privacy of my son,โ€ he said.

Karoline Leavitt, 28, the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history, declined to comment on the arrest. However, a source told WMUR that Ferreira and Leavitt have not been in contact โ€œfor many years,โ€ adding that the child โ€œhas lived full-time in New Hampshire with his father since he was born. He has never resided with his mother.โ€

According to DHS, Ferreira entered the United States legally in 1998 but failed to depart when required. โ€œShe entered the US on a B2 tourist visa that required her to depart the US by June 6, 1999,โ€ the agency said. โ€œShe is currently at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center and is in removal proceedings. Under President Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem, all individuals unlawfully present in the United States are subject to deportation.โ€

NBC News reported that Ferreira had previously been arrested on suspicion of battery, though the outcome of that case is unclear. No charges appear in Massachusettsโ€™ online court records.

Ferreiraโ€™s attorney, Todd Pomerleau, strongly disputes DHSโ€™s characterization of his client, arguing she should not be facing deportation. He said she has โ€œmaintained her legal statusโ€ through the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and was actively working toward obtaining a green card before her arrest.

โ€œSheโ€™s in the process of actually getting her green card and she was abruptly arrested and taken from her young child right before Thanksgiving,โ€ Pomerleau told WCVB. โ€œBruna has no criminal record whatsoever. I donโ€™t know where that is coming from. Show us the proof. Thereโ€™s no charges out there. Sheโ€™s not a criminal illegal alien.โ€

Pomerleau said the family has been struggling with the distance, noting that Ferreiraโ€™s son has not spoken to her since she was taken into custody. โ€œIโ€™m just trying to fight to get her out of jail,โ€ he said. โ€œShe should not be sitting in a jail hours away from her family and from her childโ€™s life. Sheโ€™s a great mom, and from what I heard, I think heโ€™s been a pretty good dad.โ€

He added, โ€œHis mother is locked up in Louisiana, where she should have never been in the first place.โ€

The case comes as the Trump administration carries out what it describes as a broad โ€œmass deportation campaign,โ€ emphasizing stricter enforcement of existing immigration laws. The initiative includes encouraging voluntary return for those in the country illegally and increasing operations by ICE, the Border Patrol, and state National Guard units.

A relative of Ferreira has launched a GoFundMe campaign, stating she was brought to the U.S. as a child and โ€œfollowed all protocols.โ€ The fundraiser says, โ€œSince then, she has done everything in her power to build a stable, honest life here. She has maintained her legal status through DACA, followed every requirement, and has always strived to do the right thing.โ€

Ferreira remains in federal custody as her removal proceedings continue.

First Judge Approves Trump’s Use Of Alien Enemies Act For Venezuelan Deportations

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Image via Pixabay

On Tuesday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines ruled that President Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged illegal immigrant gang members complies with the law.

Haines, a Trump appointee with a background as a prosecutor in Pennsylvania, ruled that Trumpโ€™s use of the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) of 1798 to deport Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang members is legally valid, citing TdAโ€™s actions as a โ€œpredatory incursionโ€ under the law.

As The Hill reports:

Haines, a Trump appointee, emphasized her โ€œunflagging obligation is to apply the law as written.โ€ 

โ€œHaving done its job, the Court now leaves it to the Political Branches of the government, and ultimately to the people who elect those individuals, to decide whether the laws and those executing them continue to reflect their will,โ€ Haines wrote in her 43-page ruling. 

The new split comes as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has filed a wave of lawsuits across the country challenging Trumpโ€™s use of the AEA, calls on the Supreme Court to immediately take up the issue and swiftly provide a nationwide resolution.

“The Alien Enemies Act โ€” historically invoked during wartime, including World War II โ€” empowers the president to detain or deport nationals of enemy nations. Trumpโ€™s application of the law targets TdA, a Venezuelan transnational gang designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization during his second administration, despite ongoing legal debate over whether gang activity constitutes an “invasion” or “incursion.”

Tuesday’s ruling contrasts with other federal judgesโ€™ decisions, such as Judge Fernando Rodriguezโ€™s May 1, 2025, injunction against the AEAโ€™s use, highlighting a judicial split that may lead to a Supreme Court challenge.