Donald Trump Suffers Double Deportation Loss In Hours: 'Irreparable Harm'

Donald Trump's administration suffered a double legal blow on Friday when the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused to lift a judge's injunction blocking the swift deportation of illegal immigrants to a country other than their own, such as El Salvador or Libya.

Also on Friday, the Supreme Court in a 7-2 decision blocked the administration's request to resume the rapid deportation of Venezuelan nationals using the Alien Enemies Act, a rarely used 1798 law.

Newsweek contacted the Department of Justice for comment on Saturday via media inquiry form outside of regular office hours.

Why It Matters

Following the November 2024 elections, which saw Republicans secure the White House along with a majority in both chambers of Congress, the courts have emerged as one of the main impediments to the second Trump administration's policy agenda.

The government has suffered legal defeats on a range of issues including the firing of probationary federal workers, freezing of billions in foreign aid and a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military.

What To Know

On Friday, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused to remove a nationwide injunction imposed by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy on April 18 barring the rapid deportation of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally to nations other than their own country of origin without first hearing their concerns about safety.

The Trump administration had deported suspected members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua criminal gang to a super prison in El Salvador, utilizing the Alien Enemies Act.

In its ruling, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said it had "concerns" about Trump administration plans regarding deportations to a country other than an immigrant's place of citizenship and "the irreparable harm that will result from wrongful removals in this context."

Friday also saw the Supreme Court reject the Trump administration's request to resume swift deportations of Venezuelan nationals using the Alien Enemies Act, which the president invoked in March aimed at suspected Tren de Aragua gang members.

Conservative justices John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and Neil Gorsuch joined the liberal justices in opposing the move, with only conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissenting from the majority view.

What People Are Saying

In a statement, Trina Realmuto, lawyer and executive director of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, celebrated the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision.

She said: "These protections are especially important given that we now know that just last week the government was actively seeking to deport people to Libya."

Reacting to the Supreme Court ruling on his Truth Social website, Trump wrote: "The Supreme Court has just ruled that the worst murderers, drug dealers, gang members, and even those who are mentally insane, who came into our Country illegally, are not allowed to be forced out without going through a long, protracted, and expensive Legal Process, one that will take, possibly, many years for each person, and one that will allow these people to commit many crimes before they even see the inside of a Courthouse. The result of this decision will let more CRIMINALS pour into our Country, doing great harm to our cherished American public.

"It will also encourage other criminals to illegally enter our Country, wreaking havoc and bedlam wherever they go. The Supreme Court of the United States is not allowing me to do what I was elected to do. Sleepy Joe Biden allowed MILLIONS of Criminal Aliens to come into our Country without any 'PROCESS' but, in order to get them out of our Country, we have to go through a long and extended PROCESS. In any event, thank you to Justice Alito and Justice Thomas for attempting to protect our Country. This is a bad and dangerous day for America!"

What Happens Next

The president and conservative commentators have expressed fury over Friday's rulings, raising the prospect of a wider confrontation between Trump and elements of the judiciary.