Trump’s effort to use an obscure wartime law to deport Venezuelans has fizzled

Catch up with NBC News Clone on today's hot topic: Trumps Effort Use Obscure Wartime Law Deport Venezuelans Fizzled Rcna353474 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone. Our editorial team reformatted this story for clarity and speed.

Litigation over the Alien Enemies Act is mired in the courts while the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro could have undermined the administration’s legal arguments.

Bukele Returns Deported Migrants to Venezuela

Venezuelans deported from the U.S. are transferred from the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador on July 18, 2025.Anadolu / Anadolu via Getty Images

July 10, 2026, 5:00 AM EDT

By Lawrence Hurley

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s contentious plan to use a wartime law to rapidly deport Venezuelans it alleged belonged to gangs hit a brick wall in the early hours of April 19, 2025, when the Supreme Court issued an unusual late-night order.

Just a moment.

We are getting your experience ready.

Related Articles