Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is throwing his support behind President Trump’s recent use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport members of a foreign terrorist organization, a stance Paxton links to his goal of bolstering national security by tightening control over American borders. In the heat of this legal battle, Paxton joined other state AGs led by South Carolina in filing an amicus brief, this move is a counterstrike against a district court’s decision to halt President Trump’s efforts to expel associates of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, as reported by the Texas Attorney General's Office.
The March 15 presidential invocation of the 1798 statute was countered swiftly by a district court ruling, putting a national freeze in place without giving space for the federal government to make its case — an act that Paxton and his allies view as an example of judiciary overreach with the court not allowing the discussion on national security matters to unfold, it preemptively put brakes on the deportation drive, according to the same office. With the D.C. Circuit Court now being engaged to consider these issues, the AG’s stance is clear: such legal activism must not impede the Executive Branch’s authority to act on matters of terrorism and public safety.
Defending the collaboration with the Trump administration, Paxton’s sharp critique of the district court was infused with political undertones, as he accused "left-wing judicial activists" of endangering public safety and exceeding their constitutional bounds. "For years, Texas suffered the consequences of Biden’s failure to secure the border, and now a liberal judge is attempting to stop President Trump from taking decisive action," Paxton argued, framing the legal tug-of-war as a clash between lax prior policies and the present resolve to secure the nation, as per the Texas Attorney General's Office.
