US top court pauses Venezuelans deportation

WASHINGTON:

The US Supreme Court on Saturday paused the Trump administration's deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members under an 18th-century law. US President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act (AEA) last month to begin rounding up Venezuelan migrants accused of belonging to the Tren de Aragua gang before expelling them to a maximum security prison in El Salvador.

The obscure law has only previously been used during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II. "The government is directed not to remove any member of the putative class of detainees from the United States until further order of this court," the Supreme Court's brief order issued early Saturday said.