A federal judge in Texas has ruled that the Trump administration overstepped its authority by using the centuries-old Alien Enemies Act to expedite the deportation of Venezuelan migrants, dealing a significant setback to the administration's immigration crackdown. In a 36-page decision issued Thursday, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez granted a preliminary injunction blocking further use of the law in this manner, stating the administration’s actions exceed the statute’s original intent.

The ruling came in response to the administration’s mid-March use of the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) to deport Venezuelans accused of belonging to the Tren de Aragua gang, a group the government labeled a national security threat. Judge Rodriguez, a Trump appointee, concluded that the AEA does not permit the deportation of individuals simply because they are alleged gang members, noting that the statute is limited to threats such as a foreign "invasion" or "predatory incursion."

"The historical record renders clear that the President’s invocation of the AEA through the Proclamation exceeds the scope of the statute and is contrary to the plain, ordinary meaning of the statute’s terms," Judge Rodriguez wrote.

The Alien Enemies Act, enacted in 1798, has been used only a handful of times in U.S. history, most notably during World War II to intern individuals of Japanese, German, and Italian descent. Trump’s attempt to apply it to members of Tren de Aragua marked one of the most aggressive modern uses of the statute. On March 15, at least 137 Venezuelans were deported from the El Valle Detention Center in Raymondville, Texas, under the proclamation.

Families of many of the deported migrants, along with their attorneys, have strongly denied that the individuals had any connection to the Venezuelan gang. They argued that the administration failed to provide any meaningful opportunity to challenge the deportations, prompting legal challenges in multiple jurisdictions.

The ruling follows an April 7th U.S. Supreme Court decision requiring the administration to allow migrants a chance to contest their deportations under the Alien Enemies Act. Since that ruling, several judges in districts including Colorado, Manhattan, and Pennsylvania have issued temporary restraining orders.

However, Judge Rodriguez’s decision goes further by issuing a preliminary injunction, a more enduring legal block for his district in South Texas. His order halts further deportations under the AEA for the foreseeable future within the jurisdiction of the El Valle Detention Center.