Trump Admin Deportations Blocked Pending Legal Challenges

Federal courts have blocked President Trump’s ambitious deportation plans, forcing the administration to halt removals while legal challenges continue through the judicial system.

Key Insights

A federal appeals court denied the Trump administration’s request to lift a restraining order blocking deportations under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act
U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy issued a nationwide temporary restraining order protecting migrants from being deported to third countries without opportunity to claim persecution or torture
The administration’s agreements with Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and other nations to accept deportees from other countries have been temporarily suspended
Judges ruled individuals must have a “meaningful opportunity” to argue against deportation if it poses a danger to their safety

Courts Block Trump’s Deportation Strategy

President Trump’s efforts to accelerate deportations have hit significant legal roadblocks as federal judges issued multiple rulings limiting the administration’s authority. A federal appeals court denied the administration’s attempt to lift a temporary restraining order that blocked deportations under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Democracy Forward, and the ACLU of the District of Columbia, who argued that the president illegally invoked the centuries-old law for modern immigration enforcement.

Separately, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy issued a nationwide temporary restraining order preventing the administration from deporting migrants to countries with which they had no existing relationship without first allowing them to claim potential persecution or torture. Judge Murphy emphasized that individuals facing deportation must have a “meaningful opportunity” to present fear-based claims, particularly under protections granted by the Convention Against Torture.

Controversial Use of 1798 Law

At the center of one legal challenge is the Trump administration’s unprecedented attempt to use the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law that allows the president to act against citizens of a foreign country during a “declared war” or “invasion.” Critics point out that this law has a troubling history, having been used during World War II to justify the internment of Japanese Americans. The current legal interpretation maintains that the act only applies during formal wartime, not for immigration enforcement during peacetime.

“Today’s decision by the D.C. Circuit denying the Trump administration’s attempt to stay the temporary restraining order issued by Judge Boasberg is an important step for due process and the protection of the American people. President Trump is bound by the laws of this nation, and those laws do not permit him to use wartime powers when the United States is not at war and has not been invaded to remove individuals from the country with no process at all,” Skye Perryman said.

The administration had specifically attempted to use the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans, a move that was blocked by another federal judge. This represents one of several strategies the Trump administration has deployed to accelerate deportations, including agreements with Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Mexico, and El Salvador to accept migrants from other countries when deportation to their homelands proves difficult.

A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration Friday from deporting people who have exhausted legal appeals to countries other than their own without first being allowed to argue that it would jeopardize their safety. https://t.co/V6oNqq08cE

— FOX23 (@FOX23) March 29, 2025

Human Impact of Deportation Policies

The cases before the courts involve individuals with compelling personal stories. One plaintiff, a Guatemalan man who was previously sent to Mexico where he experienced assault, is currently in hiding in Guatemala. Another plaintiff fears being sent to a third country during a mandatory check-in with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Dallas. According to court documents, an immigration judge had already “found it was more likely than not that he would be persecuted” if returned to his home country.

“If your position today is that we don’t have to give them any notice, and we can send them to any country other than the country to which the immigration court has said no, that’s a very surprising thing to hear the government say,” said U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy.

Reports indicate that migrants from Africa and Asia have been deported to Panama despite having no ties to the country. The court rulings now require the administration to provide notice and opportunity for individuals to submit fear-based claims before deporting them to countries not identified during their original immigration proceedings. Advocacy groups including the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, which filed a lawsuit in Boston, hailed the decisions as vital protections for due process.