Fifth Circuit Dismisses Challenge to Trump Alien Enemies Act

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit dismissed a legal challenge against Donald Trump and his use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport members of the Venezuelan street gang Tren de Aragua. The court ruled the case moot because the government had already expelled the three Venezuelan plaintiffs using traditional immigration methods, meaning there were no longer any named petitioners seeking relief.

This dismissal halts a legal trajectory that had previously seen a three-judge panel reject the president's claim that illegal immigration constitutes an invasion or predatory incursion under the wartime law. By declaring the case moot, the court avoided issuing a definitive ruling on the extent of the president's wartime powers.

The American Civil Liberties Union maintains that a previous injunction continues to protect immigrants in Texas from deportation under the Act. Legal challenges in other states, including New York, which were awaiting the Fifth Circuit's decision, are expected to resume.