The Daily Fuckup

The Supreme Court handed the Trump administration a procedural victory on April 7, 2025, but it did not sign off on the underlying legal fight over Alien Enemies Act removals. In Trump v. J.G.G., the justices vacated temporary restraining orders issued by a federal court in Washington and said the challengers’ claims could not be decided in that case. The order leaves the administration able to keep pursuing removals under the wartime statute while the case shifts to a different courtroom track. ([supremecourt.gov](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/604us2r25_7648.pdf))

The catch is venue. The Court said challenges to removal under the Alien Enemies Act have to be brought in habeas, and that the proper venue is the district of confinement. Because the detainees in this case were held in Texas, the Court said the District of Columbia was the wrong place for the fight. That is a win for the government on procedure, not a final ruling on whether the proclamation is lawful on the merits. ([supremecourt.gov](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/604us2r25_7648.pdf))

The opinion also put a floor under how fast removals can happen. The Court said detainees subject to Alien Enemies Act removal are entitled to notice and an opportunity to be heard that fits the case, and that the notice must come within a reasonable time and in a way that lets them actually seek habeas relief before removal. In other words: the government did not get a blank check to move first and sort out the courts later. ([supremecourt.gov](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/604us2r25_7648.pdf))

The case centers on Venezuelan nationals the government says are tied to Tren de Aragua, which the State Department designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The president’s proclamation invoked the Alien Enemies Act to detain and remove Venezuelan nationals alleged to be members of that group. The Supreme Court did not decide that underlying dispute Monday. It decided where, and through what procedure, that dispute has to be litigated. ([supremecourt.gov](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/604us2r25_7648.pdf))