The Legal Aid Society is condemning a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that allows the Trump Administration to resume deporting Venezuelan asylum seekers to a notorious prison in El Salvador by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

“The Supreme Court’s decision gives a green light to the Trump Administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to allege–without evidence–that Venezuelan asylum seekers are gang members, that Venezuelans are at war with the United States, and that these so-called ‘Alien Enemies’ can be expelled however this Administration sees fit,” reads a statement from Legal Aid. “Today, it is Venezuelan asylum seekers who are being denied due process, and tomorrow, it could be whoever this Administration unilaterally determines is an Alien Enemy.”

Legal Aid represents two plaintiffs in the matter before the Supreme Court, G.F.F. and J.G.O., who are now at risk of immediate expulsion. They have done everything the law requires. They have
complied with every step of the immigration process, do not have any criminal convictions, have lawfully applied for asylum protection, and still await their opportunity to have an Immigration Court consider their well-founded fear of returning to Venezuela. They are not gang members—they are people seeking safety, justice, and humanitarian protection authorized by Congress.

“This decision undermines the constitutional principles of fairness and justice, and it will have devastating consequences for countless people fleeing violence and persecution,” the statement concludes. “We remain committed to defending the rights of the people we serve and fighting for a system that upholds dignity and due process for all.”

**UPDATE**
G.F.F. and J.G.O. are now plaintiffs in a new emergency lawsuit filed this morning to halt deportations under the Alien Enemies Act.