Venezuelan migrants arrived in Caracas on March 24, 2025, after being deported from the United States. According to a report from Reuters, the event emphasized the ongoing immigration challenges faced by individuals from Venezuela.
U.S. Judge Patricia Millett recently criticized the treatment of deportees, stating, “Nazis received better treatment under the Alien Enemies Act.” This statement followed the Trump administration’s decision to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members to a prison in El Salvador using the 1798 Alien Enemies Act (AEA), a seldom-used wartime law that has been invoked during previous conflicts, including the War of 1812 and both World Wars.
That same day, Chief Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court in Washington quickly issued a restraining order, halting any further deportations under this act. The Justice Department is now seeking to overturn this order, and the issue is currently being considered by a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals.
During the court proceedings, Justice Department attorney Drew Ensign contended that the restraining order encroaches excessively on executive power. However, Judge Millett countered that the ruling is not an affront to presidential authority but rather an acknowledgment of the absence of due process for those being deported.
Millett expressed her concern pointedly, saying, “Nazis had the benefit of hearing boards before their removal.” She criticized the process that led to the deportations, pointing out that individuals aboard the planes had no chance to contest their expulsion.
Human rights advocates have raised alarm about the deportations, particularly since some migrants were allegedly sent back solely for their tattoos, without any substantiated ties to the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang. Lee Gelernt, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), cautioned that if the restraining order is lifted, mass deportations under the AEA would resume immediately. He condemned the situation, asserting that individuals were being sent to notoriously harsh prisons incommunicado, effectively making them disappear.
Judge Boasberg’s detailed ruling emphasized that those facing deportation under the AEA must be afforded individual hearings. In response, Trump publicly attacked Boasberg and even suggested impeachment, a comment that elicited rare pushback from Chief Justice John Roberts.
As legal experts warn of an impending constitutional crisis, the Trump administration persists in its approach. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche disclosed plans to deport three alleged TdA members to Chile under the AEA, citing accusations of extortion and kidnapping.
