Attorney General Pam Bondi criticized the judge’s decision, stating that it “prioritizes Tren de Aragua terrorists over the safety of Americans

President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 on March 15, 2025, to expedite the deportation of members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. This move was aimed at controlling illegal immigrants and criminal activities within the country.

However, Congressman Brandon Gill said on X, “I’ll be filing Articles of Impeachment against activist judge James Boasberg this week.”

In his proclamation, Trump claimed that Tren de Aragua represents an “invading force” and that the gang is waging “irregular warfare” under the direction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

According to him, the gang is involved in serious crimes on U.S. soil, including kidnapping, extortion, organized crime, and murder. Under this act, all Venezuelan citizens aged 14 or older who are members of this gang and are illegally present in the U.S. can be detained as “alien enemies” and removed from the country without following standard immigration procedures.

However, just hours after this announcement, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a temporary halt to the deportation plan. Judge Boasberg, appointed by President Barack Obama, issued a 14-day Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and directed planes that had already taken off with deportees to return to the United States.

This ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by civil rights organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Democracy Forward, who argued that five Venezuelan men, held in an immigration detention center in Texas, were seeking asylum and had been wrongly identified as members of Tren de Aragua.

In his decision, Judge Boasberg stated that deportation would cause “irreparable harm” to these individuals, while a brief delay in the process would not harm the government. He also ensured that the status of those already in custody would be maintained to allow for further investigation into the case.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration immediately appealed the ruling, labeling it a threat to national security. Attorney General Pam Bondi criticized the judge’s decision, stating that it “prioritizes Tren de Aragua terrorists over the safety of Americans.”

However, some believe that using the Alien Enemies Act during peacetime and against non-state entities is unprecedented and questionable, as the law was originally designed for wartime scenarios.

On the other hand, Trump supporters argue that this step is necessary to combat criminal activities. Additionally, reports emerged that the Trump administration agreed to pay El Salvador $6 million to detain approximately 300 deported Tren de Aragua members in prison there for a year.