In a significant win for President Trump, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines has issued a ruling that allows illegal immigrants to be deported using the Alien Enemies Act (AEA). Conservatives rejoiced across the internet at the good news, and many noticed that this victory could snowball into other wins for the Trump administration.
For context, Trump initially invoked the AEA as a way to deport members of the violent Tren De Aragua crime syndicate. However, woke Judge James Boasberg issued an injunction that could have prevented Trump from using the law to keep America safe.
In any case, Judge Stephanie Haines issued a 44-page decision on May 13, 2025, which fully vindicated the president. Emphasizing her “unflagging obligation is to apply the law as written,” Haines said, “Having done its job, the Court now leaves it to the Political Branches of the government, and ultimately to the people who elect those individuals, to decide whether the laws and those executing them continue to reflect their will.”
For context, Haines’s ruling lifts a temporary order she issued last month and confirms that the government can now proceed with deportations, provided it gives 21 days’ notice to illegal immigrants. She noted, “The Court recognizes that it may need to conduct further analysis and consider additional issues related to the specifics of notice in the future. However, at this preliminary stage of this case, the Court finds that the foregoing is appropriate and complies with the law.”
However, not all judges were so reasonable. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. said the law can only be invoked when an “organized, armed force” is entering the United States, and said that President Trump’s use of the AEA “exceeds the scope of the statute and, as a result, is unlawful.”
Continuing his baseless allegations, Rodriguez said, “The Proclamation makes no reference to and in no manner suggests that a threat exists of an organized, armed group of individuals entering the United States at the direction of Venezuela to conquer the country or assume control over a portion of the nation. Thus, the Proclamation’s language cannot be read as describing conduct that falls within the meaning of ‘invasion’ for purposes of the AEA.”
When news of the decision was posted to X by prominent conservative influencer Libs of TikTok, conservatives rejoiced. She posted, “BREAKING: Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines just ruled IN FAVOR of Trump using the Alien Enemies Act to deport criminal Venezuelan illegal alien gang members.”
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In the comments under her post, social media users expressed confusion about the seemingly contradictory decisions made by the judicial system. One user said, “I’m confused, so which judge do they listen to now? One says yes, the other says no. This is ridiculous. District judges have no say over a President, only their district.” Another added, “So who is next in line after her to shoot it back down, I’ve lost track. The supremes (sic) need to act in a hurry and put a stop to judge shopping.”
Rounding out the comments, many accounts celebrated the major win for border security. A user noted, “Finally, a common-sense ruling to deport criminal Venezuelan gang members using the Alien Enemies Act. More judges need to step up like this! 💪”