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US Supreme Court Blocks Alien Enemies Act Deportations
Above: American flags are seen during a protest outside the SCOTUS over President Donald Trump's move to end birthright citizenship in Washington, DC, on May 15, 2025. Image copyright: Drew Angerer/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Democratic narrative
The SCOTUS must take the extra step and rule that these removals under the Alien Enemies Act are draconian and unconstitutional. There is little linking the deportees to Tren de Aragua or an invasion of any kind, and due process rights must be restored to migrants without the Trump administration attempting to circumvent them. The SCOTUS has affirmed that the White House is acting recklessly and illegally.
Republican narrative
Setting aside the fact that the Alien Enemies Act might still be used for deportations in the future, courts are overstepping their bounds and interfering with the president's rights to maintain national security. Whether or not Tren de Aragua members constitute enemy aliens is a political question about the executive branch, not the judicial one, and our courts are interfering with the pace at which deportations of criminals must be carried out.