The Supreme Court temporarily banned the Trump administration from deporting a group of Venezuelan men over the weekend, directing officials to keep the group in the US while legal challenges proceed. The order—passed 7-2, with Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissenting—was issued near 1 am ET Saturday morning.
The directive is the latest in an emerging confrontation between the court and administration over immigration policy. The court previously ruled deportations could continue for the time being under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act but that deportees had the right to challenge their removal prior to leaving the US.
In related news, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) returned from a meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador. Abrego Garcia said he had been transferred from the country’s CECOT mega-prison to a separate detention center.
Federal officials separately released a two-page document detailing two incidents—a 2019 police informant identifying Abrego Garcia as affiliated with MS-13 and a 2022 traffic stop in which an officer suggested he may be involved with human trafficking. No charges were filed in either case.
Finally, statistics released last week revealed a nearly 95% year-over-year drop in border encounters.