In response to a law suit filed by undocumented Venezuelan migrants, a federal judge, appointed by President Trump during his first term, permanently restrained the Trump administration on May 1, 2025, from invoking the Alien Enemies Act (“AEC”), which is an 18th-century wartime law, as the basis to deport Venezuelan nationals the government classified as gang members from the Southern District of Texas, saying “the White House’s use of the statute was not legal.” As noted by Judge Fernando Rodriguez, Jr., "the President’s invocation of the AEA through the Proclamation exceeds the scope of the statute and is contrary to the plain, ordinary meaning of the statute’s terms” thereby precluding the administration from using the AEA and Mr. Trump's proclamation to detain, transfer, or remove Venezuelan national migrants who either live in or are detained in the Southern District.
Read moreThe New York Times: “Actually, the Numbers Show That We Need More Immigration, Not Less.”
That America is being overwhelmed by a flood of immigrants has become conventional wisdom for some. Remarking on undocumented immigration and border security President Trump claimed last November that, among many other negatives, “Illegal immigration hurts American workers; burdens American taxpayers; and undermines public safety.” Many immigration experts and analysts, including Shikha Dalmia, a senior analyst at Reason Foundation, argue however that the idea that America is experiencing mass immigration is a myth.
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