A federal judge in Texas issued a ruling that prevents U.S. President Donald Trump from enforcing a law that allows for the expulsion of "unauthorized" immigrants and prohibits any deportation actions in his judicial district on this basis. This ruling is the first to clarify the legality of sanctuary under this law, and it has garnered significant attention among critics and supporters.
In a major announcement published on March 15 of last year, this law was employed against the Venezuelan criminal organization "Tren de Aragua," which has been classified as a terrorist entity. This resulted in the deportation of over 250 individuals, the majority of whom are Venezuelans, and most of the cases relied on a law tracing back to the 18th century.
The court decision prohibits the arrest and deportation of Venezuelan nationals based solely on this law exclusively in his judicial district in South Texas, which includes the cities of Houston and Brownsville near the Mexican border. For its part, the civil rights defense organization expressed its support for the ruling, pointing to its significant importance.
During a reception by President Salvadoran, Nayib Bukele, Trump emphasized the need to combat organized crime, and noted that the Salvadoran government would not repatriate migrants that had been incorrectly deported to the United States. Trump also criticized his predecessor for the "open border" policy that had been adopted by the previous U.S. administration.
