White House defends Trump’s use of Alien Enemies Act after court blocks deportations

WASHINGTON, United States (MNTV) – The US government has rejected a federal appeals court order blocking certain deportations, insisting that presidential authority over national security operations cannot be curtailed by judicial intervention.

“The authority to conduct national security operations in defense of the United States and to remove terrorists from the United States rests solely with the president,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said, defending the administration’s actions.

Jackson said President Donald Trump “exercised this lawful authority and employed the Alien Enemies Act to remove enemies of the United States, including vicious TdA (Tren de Aragua) gang members, from the country.”

The Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century wartime law, grants presidents broad powers to detain and deport foreign nationals during declared emergencies.

In a 2-1 decision, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from removing certain immigrants, remanding the case to a lower district court for further proceedings.

The ruling clarified that the government remains free to remove the named petitioners and class members under other lawful authorities not covered by the injunction.

Circuit Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez filed a partial concurrence and dissent, while Circuit Judge Andrew Oldham dissented entirely from the majority.

The Trump administration expressed confidence in prevailing, with Jackson citing Oldham’s dissent. “Judge Oldham’s dissent provides a careful review of this authority, and we expect to be vindicated on the merits in this case,” she said.