- Federal judge denies ACLU request to block deportations citing insufficient evidence
- ICE distributes English-only removal notices citing alleged gang affiliations
- Multiple flights planned to Salvadoran mega-prison despite ongoing litigation
- 1798 statute historically used during declared wars now applied to migrants
- TikTok evidence emerges showing detainees disputing criminal charges
Legal teams representing 47 Venezuelan nationals detained in Texas sounded alarms late Thursday as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) prepared immediate deportations under the rarely invoked Alien Enemies Act. This 225-year-old statute, last used systematically during World War II, allows summary removal of noncitizens from nations deemed hostile during wartime.
Court documents reveal ICE agents distributed removal notices exclusively in English to Spanish-speaking detainees at Bluebonnet Detention Center. Several migrants reported being coerced into signing documents while falsely accused of Tren de Aragua gang membership. They told me the President ordered this,stated detainee F.G.M. through ACLU attorneys, and that my signature didn't matter.
The emergency follows U.S. District Judge Carlos Rodriguez's Thursday ruling denying temporary relief. While acknowledging potential due process violations, the court found no immediate threat justifying intervention given government assurances. Legal analysts note this creates dangerous precedent for wartime powers application without congressional war declarations.
Regional Case Study: CECOT's Expanding Role
Deportation plans target the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) in Tecoluca, El Salvador - a 40,000-capacity facility criticized by human rights groups. Since March 2025, this complex has received over 1,200 foreign nationals under bilateral security agreements. Salvadorean officials claim it disrupts transnational crime, but leaked reports describe systematic due process violations.
Three Unique Legal Insights
- Constitutional scholars argue AEA requires formal war declaration absent since 1942
- Administration's hybrid criminal stateclassification faces Supreme Court scrutiny
- Precedent could enable mass removals of other nationalities without hearings
Social media evidence now plays pivotal role, with detainees sharing real-time documentation of interactions. A viral TikTok call shows Luis Yoender Mercado displaying removal papers while stating, We need help...they're lying about gangs.Advocacy groups utilize such footage to pressure Congress for oversight hearings.
With removal flights reportedly scheduled through July, the ACLU's emergency motion emphasizes irreversible harm from third-country deportations. Once these men enter CECOT,warned Executive Director Michelle Brane, access to legal recourse vanishes.The case tests presidential authority over immigration enforcement during perceived security crises.
