U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled that President Donald Trump “exceeded the scope of the Alien Enemies Act (AEA)” by using it to authorize mass deportations to a foreign prison in El Salvador. The ruling eviscerates Trump’s controversial executive proclamation, stating that undocumented migrants cannot be classified as a wartime threat, and that “bombastic rhetoric does not equate to an invasion.”
The judge’s decision directly undermines Trump’s legal foundation for Operation Sovereign Surge—a plan that forcibly removed hundreds of migrants, some of whom were not informed of their legal rights. Legal scholars now argue this ruling establishes a clear precedent that curtails executive overreach, warning that using wartime statutes during peacetime not only violates civil liberties but also sets a dangerous authoritarian precedent.
“A Notoriously Evil Jail”: U.S. Judge Condemns Deportations to El Salvador’s CECOT
Judge Alvin Hellerstein didn’t mince words about the ultimate destination for many of the deportees: CECOT, a maximum-security prison in El Salvador, described in his ruling as a “notoriously evil jail.” Migrants were allegedly dumped there with no access to legal representation, family contact, or clear legal procedures—a move the court said amounts to “irreparable harm.”
This revelation sparked outrage among human rights organizations, with Amnesty International calling for an immediate suspension of deportations to CECOT. Experts now assert that the Trump administration’s deals with foreign governments to offload detainees, without international oversight, may constitute violations of international humanitarian law and could trigger foreign policy consequences for the U.S.
Alvin Hellerstein: “No War, No Invasion, No Excuse”, Trump’s National Security Claims Crumble in Court
Alvin Hellerstein’s ruling shredded the Trump administration’s justification for invoking the AEA, stating unequivocally that “there is no war, no invasion, and no predatory incursion.” The court found that Venezuela’s refugee crisis—even with gang elements like Tren de Aragua embedded—does not meet the legal threshold for wartime powers under the 1798 act.
Trump’s repeated use of militarized language to justify extreme immigration measures now faces intense legal scrutiny. Legal analysts argue that this decision further confirms what critics have long alleged: that Trump manufactured a national security crisis to bypass legislative oversight, scapegoat asylum seekers, and erect a pseudo-militarized border regime without Congressional consent.
Deportation With No Due Process: Trump’s ICE Policy Violated Supreme Court Mandates
Judge Alvin Hellerstein also lambasted Trump-era ICE policies for violating both Supreme Court precedent and constitutional due process protections. Migrants were given minimal notice—sometimes as little as 12 hours—and forced to file legal challenges within a 24-hour window, or risk permanent deportation.
Even more chilling, the ruling states that “ICE may proceed with removal” regardless of whether migrants file for habeas relief, unless a court intervenes in time. Civil liberties attorneys say this renders legal protections meaningless in practice and exposes how the administration weaponized bureaucracy to fast-track deportations in secret.
Second Judicial Defeat in a Week: Legal Consensus Forms Against Trump’s AEA Interpretation
This is not an isolated judgment. Just days ago, a federal judge in Texas issued a similar ruling that Trump’s use of the AEA to deport suspected gang affiliates lacked legal merit. Together, these rulings are rapidly forming a judicial consensus that the Trump administration grossly misinterpreted the Alien Enemies Act and applied it in unconstitutional ways.
Experts believe this dual defeat could invite class action lawsuits from detainees and open the door for potential federal indictments for civil rights violations. Legal commentators are now openly speculating whether Trump’s actions rise to the level of impeachable offenses—an argument gaining traction among progressive lawmakers and watchdog organizations.
The MAGA Regime’s Fascist Tendencies Exposed: Calls Grow for Accountability
Judge Alvin Hellerstein’s fiery opinion, combined with rising legal backlash, has intensified calls to hold Donald Trump accountable for what many now label fascist governance. The ruling doesn’t just dismantle a policy—it paints a damning picture of a presidency willing to twist obscure laws into tools for racialized mass detention and authoritarian experimentation.
Civil rights groups and former Justice Department officials are urging the Trump administration to investigate the broader infrastructure that enabled these deportations. The haunting image of refugees, wrongfully imprisoned in a foreign gulag under U.S. contract, has already sparked international condemnation—and could ultimately become a central exhibit in the case for Trump’s criminal liability.
