US Supreme Court Allows Trump to Use Wartime Law for Deportations

The US Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump to use a rare wartime law to speed up the deportation of alleged gang members. 

A lower court had temporarily stopped the deportation of suspected Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, saying that the decision needed further review under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.

Trump argued that the migrants were part of the Tren de Aragua gang and were involved in "irregular warfare" against the US, allowing them to be deported under this law. While the ruling is seen as a win for the Trump administration, the Supreme Court also stated that deportees must have a chance to challenge their removal.

The case was originally filed in Washington DC by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of five migrants, but the Supreme Court ruled that the case should have been filed in Texas, where the migrants are being held. Since then, at least 137 people have been deported under the Alien Enemies Act, a move criticized by human rights groups.