President Donald Trump intensified attacks on the judiciary Sunday amid growing tensions over his aggressive immigration policies, warning of a “sinister attack” on the U.S. as the Supreme Court temporarily blocked mass deportations of Venezuelan migrants.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump criticized “WEAK and INEFFECTIVE Judges and Law Enforcement Officials,” accusing them of enabling chaos at the border. His remarks came after a rare early-morning ruling by the Supreme Court paused deportations under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act — a law not used since World War II.
Justice Samuel Alito, one of two dissenting justices, slammed the decision as “legally questionable,” writing that the ruling was made “literally in the middle of the night” without input from the opposing side.
The emergency order halted deportations from Texas that rights groups warned were imminent and possibly unlawful. Critics argue the administration has ignored due process and legal protections in its rush to deport suspected gang members.
Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar warned the nation was “getting closer and closer to a constitutional crisis,” accusing Trump of undermining democratic institutions.
Trump, however, defends his actions as necessary to combat illegal immigration and protect U.S. citizens, alleging that many of the deportees are violent criminals.
In one high-profile case, Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison. The administration admitted the move was an “administrative error,” but Trump later claimed Garcia was a gang member, even sharing a doctored image suggesting gang affiliations.
Senator Chris Van Hollen, who visited Garcia in prison, described him as confused and afraid. He criticized the administration for ignoring the Supreme Court’s ruling and demanded proof that it’s acting within the law.
“They need to put up or shut up in the courts of the United States,” Van Hollen said.
The temporary halt has set up a larger legal showdown, with the Supreme Court expected to take up the issue in full in the coming weeks.
AFP
