Supreme Court Gives Trump Admin Epic Go-Ahead, Takes Deportation of Illegals Out of Activist Judge's Hands

President Donald Trump’s second term just scored what may be its most significant legal triumph so far — and it didn’t require the help of one of his own Supreme Court picks.

Late Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing it to proceed with deportations of suspected members of the Venezuela-linked gang Tren de Aragua under the Alien Enemies Act. These deportations, via El Salvador, can now move forward, according to reporting from The Washington Post.

In a narrow 5-4 decision, Justice Amy Coney Barrett sided with the court’s liberal bloc. Notably, the ruling didn’t weigh in on whether using the Alien Enemies Act in this way is constitutional. Instead, it focused on a procedural issue that could have broader implications.

The justices determined that the lawsuit — brought by the American Civil Liberties Union — had been filed in the wrong court. This effectively removed the case from U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, a D.C. judge frequently criticized by conservatives for his perceived judicial activism.

As The Post noted, “The detainees are confined in Texas, so venue is improper in the District of Columbia,” the majority opinion explained. It further stated that “the Government is likely to succeed on the merits of this action.”

The decision forces the ACLU to restart its legal challenge in Texas, shifting it away from a judge who once threatened to hold Trump officials in contempt. (Observers have pointed out that Boasberg did not display the same urgency in prior cases, such as when the Obama administration delayed the release of emails connected to Hillary Clinton until after the 2016 election.)

The Supreme Court also emphasized that due process must be upheld for those facing deportation if flight operations resume.

Officials within the Trump administration were quick to celebrate the decision, touting it as a major policy and legal breakthrough.

“It is a bad day to be a terrorist and criminal alien in the United States of America,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem declared on X (formerly Twitter). She praised the decision as “a victory for commonsense security” and insisted that “an activist judge cannot stop the will of the American people for a safe and secure homeland.”

“We will continue to enforce our immigration laws and restore sanity to our immigration system by using all appropriate authorities, including the Alien Enemies Act,” she added.

Attorney General Pam Bondi echoed that sentiment, writing: “Tonight’s decision is a landmark victory for the rule of law.”

She continued, “An activist judge in Washington, DC does not have the jurisdiction to seize control of President Trump’s authority to conduct foreign policy and keep the American people safe.”

Appearing on Fox News, White House deputy chief of staff for policy and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller called the decision a “monumental victory for President Trump” and referred to it as “a total embarrassment for Judge Boasberg.”

Miller didn’t mince words, describing it as “the biggest legal win of this administration so far,” and lambasted the judge for wanting the United States “to turn our planes around” and “empty prisons in foreign countries and bring them back.”

He concluded: “This is a monumental, colossal victory for the rule of law, for the Constitution, for our founding generation — John Adams, who signed this law into effect in 1798 — and for President Trump in fulfilling his mandate and campaign pledge.”

While further legal battles are likely, this latest decision underscores the administration's determination to assert its immigration enforcement powers and push back against what it views as judicial overreach. For Trump supporters, it’s more than just a courtroom win — it’s a statement that, as they see it, “enough is enough.”