A federal appeals court has blocked the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expedite the deportation of Venezuelan immigrants accused of being gang members. The court ruled that the 18th-century law, which has only been used during declared wars (the War of 1812 and the two World Wars), cannot be applied to the current situation. The administration had sought to use the act to deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang to a prison in El Salvador, arguing that the president's authority in this matter could not be second-guessed by the courts. However, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the circumstances did not meet the historical threshold of "invasion or predatory incursion" that the act was intended to address. This ruling reaffirms the separation of powers and limits the executive branch's ability to use archaic laws for modern immigration enforcement.