Federal Judge Says Trump’s Invocation of Alien Enemies Act Was Legal

The judge holds that Tren de Aragua gang was engaging in the type of ‘predatory incursion’ that the Alien Enemies Act mentions.

Guards escort a newly admitted inmate to the Terrorist Confinement Center (CECOT) in Tecoluca, El Salvador, on March 16, 2025. Salvadoran Government via Getty Images

A federal judge in Pennsylvania has ruled that President Donald Trump validly invoked the Alien Enemies Act in March as part of an effort to deport Venezuelan gang members.

More specifically, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines held that the gang—Tren de Aragua (TdA)—was engaging in the type of “predatory incursion” that the Alien Enemies Act mentions.