Columbia News

Senator Eric Schmitt posted a series of statements on August 8, 2025, addressing recent legal developments related to the deportation of Venezuelan gang members and actions by federal judges involving former President Donald Trump.

In his first post, Schmitt referenced the origins of a legal dispute: "This fight dates back to March 15, when the President invoked the Alien Enemies Act to fast-track the deportation of dangerous Venezuelan gang members and cartel affiliates from our country." (August 8, 2025). The Alien Enemies Act allows the U.S. government to detain or remove nationals from countries with which it is at war or has declared enemies.

In a subsequent statement, Schmitt commented on a judicial decision: "A massive win for President Trump against rogue judges. Chief Judge Boasberg was brazenly trying to punish the President for a dispute over an order the Supreme Court later said he had not power to issue in the first place. The D.C. Circuit just shut him down. " (August 8, 2025).

Schmitt continued by describing events surrounding an attempted court order: "However, by the time the order was issued, planes carrying these TdA members were already in the air. Boasberg orally ordered the government to return these criminal aliens to the U.S., but he lacked authority to do so and never memorialized this command in his written minute" (August 8, 2025).

The posts refer to ongoing debates over executive authority in immigration enforcement and judicial oversight. The Alien Enemies Act has been used historically during times of conflict or national security concerns as a legal basis for removing foreign nationals considered threats.