Supreme Court Halts Deportation of Venezuelan Detainees in Texas Amid ICE Motorcade and Legal Challenges

A large motorcade comprising at least 18 squad cars from multiple law enforcement agencies departed the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in North Texas, with flashing lights visible along the highways. Some individuals aboard the vehicles were reportedly informed that they were being deported to El Salvador. The convoy’s movement coincided with a series of developments involving the detention and potential deportation of Venezuelan migrants in the region.

On Friday night, video footage captured ICE buses filled with Venezuelan detainees traveling toward an airport in North Texas. However, the buses abruptly turned around before reaching their destination. This action followed a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which instructed the Trump administration to temporarily halt deportations of Venezuelan men residing in Texas under the Alien Enemies Act. The court’s decision emphasized that deportations could only proceed if the individuals involved were given an opportunity to present their cases in court and were allowed a reasonable period to contest their removals.

The detainees, numbering at least 28 and believed to be Venezuelan nationals, were initially placed on buses at ICE’s Bluebonnet Detention Center located in Anson, Texas. The buses were headed toward Abilene Regional Airport, approximately 30 miles from the detention center. The Supreme Court’s brief order explicitly directed that these individuals not be removed from the country until further notice from the court.

This development highlights ongoing legal and administrative challenges surrounding immigration enforcement actions involving Venezuelan nationals. The Supreme Court’s intervention underscores the importance of due process rights for detainees facing deportation under the Alien Enemies Act, a statute that has recently come under scrutiny in the context of immigration policy.