The Trump administration filed an application with the U.S. Supreme Court, requesting that it vacate a District Court judge's ruling that temporarily blocks deportations under the Alien Enemies Act.
President Donald Trump invoked the obscure wartime law from 1798 earlier this month — after designating Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, a terrorist organization.
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The Trump administration subsequently deported individuals suspected of being Venezuelan gang members on three separate planes despite a District Court judge's order to turn planes in the air around and make sure no other deportations under the Alien Enemies Act take place for at least two weeks.
The Trump administration argues that the District Court judge's orders "jeopardize sensitive diplomatic negotiations and delicate national-security operations, which were designed to extirpate TdA’s presence in our country before it gains a greater foothold."
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It adds that the court should vacate the District Court's order.
"In addition, the Acting Solicitor General respectfully requests an immediate administrative stay of the district court’s orders pending the Court’s consideration of this application," the application says.
In response to the filing, Lee Gelernt, lead counsel for the ACLU on the case, said, "We will urge the Supreme Court to preserve the status quo to give the courts time to hear this case, so that more individuals are not sent off to a notorious foreign prison without any process, based on an unprecedented and unlawful use of a wartime authority."
Meanwhile, the District Court judge on Friday extended the temporary restraining order blocking the deportations until April 12.
