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Fifth Circuit Dismisses Trump Alien Enemies Deportation Lawsuit

8/14/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members, rendering it moot.
The judges dismissed the case because the administration had already removed all three plaintiffs using other legal authorities.
The ruling leaves the Alien Enemies Act question unresolved and shows the administration’s effort to invoke it has largely fizzled.

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Story summary

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members, rendering it moot.
The judges dismissed the case because the administration had already removed all three plaintiffs using other legal authorities.
The ruling leaves the Alien Enemies Act question unresolved and shows the administration’s effort to invoke it has largely fizzled.