The Department of Homeland Security has urgently requested the U.S. Supreme Court to lift a temporary injunction blocking deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, citing a violent incident at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.
The emergency filing, announced Tuesday, follows a dangerous uprising at the Bluebonnet Detention Facility in Anson, Texas, involving members of the Tren de Aragua gang, a group designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration.
According to DHS, 23 TdA members barricaded themselves inside their housing unit at the facility, using bed cots to block doors and threatening to take hostages and harm ICE agents.
They also threatened to flood the facility by clogging toilets.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described the severity of the situation in a statement released by DHS, emphasizing the immediate threat posed by the detained gang members.
“Twenty-three TdA members barricaded themselves in the Bluebonnet Detention Facility, threatened to take hostages, and endangered officers. Keeping these foreign terrorists in ICE facilities poses a serious threat to ICE officers, staff, and other detainees,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
She then took a moment to skewer the sympathetic views often shared for these illegal immigrants.
“The media repeated these TdA gang members’ false sob stories, but the truth is these are members of a foreign terrorist organization that rape, maim, and murder for sport,” McLaughlin said.
The incident has heightened concerns about the safety of ICE personnel and other detainees held at the facility, prompting DHS to seek immediate action from the Supreme Court.
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The temporary injunction, issued in March, was requested by the American Civil Liberties Union to halt the deportation of dozens of Venezuelan migrants, including those detained at Bluebonnet.
DHS argues that the injunction prevents the swift removal of dangerous individuals, such as the TdA members involved in the uprising, who pose a significant risk to national security.
The Bluebonnet Detention Facility has been at the center of recent legal battles over the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation policies targeting migrants under the Alien Enemies Act, as noted by Reuters.
The Tren de Aragua gang, originating from Venezuela, has been linked to violent crimes, including rape, murder, and extortion, both in the United States and abroad, according to federal authorities.
The Supreme Court’s urged decision on the emergency request could set a precedent for how the Alien Enemies Act is applied to all manner of detainee deportations in the future.
DHS has emphasized that delays in deporting violent gang members could lead to further incidents, endangering the lives of ICE officers and staff working in detention facilities.
The uprising at Bluebonnet is part of a broader challenge faced by ICE, which is grappling with limited detention space and staffing shortages amid a push for mass deportations.
The Trump administration has prioritized deporting individuals with criminal convictions, particularly those affiliated with gangs like Tren de Aragua and MS-13, as part of its immigration enforcement strategy.
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