Good morning! It’s March 16, 2025. Stay ahead with the latest updates on defense and global affairs as you wrap up the weekend.

Trump Invokes 1798 Law, Faces Legal Block

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration Saturday from deporting Venezuelan gang members under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a rarely used wartime law that President Donald Trump invoked to expedite removals.

The administration had already begun deportations, arguing that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua posed a national security threat and was waging an invasion against the United States.

The ACLU and Democracy Forward challenged the move, leading Judge James E. Boasberg to halt the deportations for 14 days and order planes in transit to turn back.

The ruling marks a major legal challenge to Trump’s expansion of executive power, with critics arguing the law applies only to recognized states, not criminal organizations.