Judge to decide whether to continue blocking deportation under Alien Enemies Act in Colorado

A federal judge in Colorado appeared likely to continue blocking the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants. Judge Charlotte Sweeney expressed doubt about lifting a temporary restraining order in the case of two Venezuelan men being held in Aurora. The judge cited a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision pausing deportations under the Alien Enemies Act in northern Texas. Sweeney last week issued the restraining order after the ACLU sued on behalf of the two men accused of gang membership. President Trump invoked the 1798 act in March to send immigrants to El Salvador. At least 11 Colorado residents have been sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador, where they are denied communication. The government’s lawyer argued against the judge’s authority to rule in the case since the men were not being removed under the act at that moment. The judge questioned the government’s guarantee that the men would not be removed under the act in the future. The ACLU called the government’s strategy a “shell game” and urged for a permanent order in the Colorado case to prevent harm. The Supreme Court recently ruled that those facing deportation under the Alien Enemies Act deserved a hearing in federal court first. This case highlights the ongoing legal battle over the use of the act to deport immigrants.

Source
Photo credit www.denverpost.com