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A Trump-appointed judge has authorized migrants targeted by the President’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to proceed with a class-action lawsuit. Judge Rodriguez is only the latest judge to obstruct the Trump administration agenda.

From Fox News. A federal judge has allowed Venezuelans targeted for deportation under the Alien Enemies Act in the Southern District of Texas to proceed with a class-action lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration.

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U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr., who was appointed by Trump during his first term, issued a 12-page order on Thursday granting a group of petitioners “class certification.”

“The unusual circumstances of this case present a compelling justification to utilize a procedure equivalent to a class action authorized by Rule 23,” Rodriguez wrote. …

The judge considered whether individual “habeas corpus hearings” would be required for every Venezuelan national targeted under the Alien Enemies Act in the Southern District of Texas to determine whether they are members of Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan gang the State Department designated as a foreign terrorist organization in March. Rodriguez said “requiring individualized habeas corpus proceedings to repeatedly address the common legal issues unduly wastes judicial resources.”

Trump issued an executive order on March 14, “Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of the United States by Tren De Aragua.” …

According to Reuters, the Trump administration deported at least 137 Venezuelans from the El Valle Detention Center in Raymondville, Texas, under the Alien Enemies Act on March 15, but relatives of dozens of the men say they are not TdA members.

In a separate 36-page opinion, Rodriguez also said Thursday the Trump administration could not rely on the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals who are TdA member anyway because the gang’s presence in the U.S. cannot be classified as an “invasion” or “predatory incursion” under federal law. …

“The Court concludes that the President’s invocation of the AEA through the Proclamation exceeds the scope of the statute and, as a result, is unlawful,” Rodriguez wrote. …

Rodriguez’s ruling Thursday is significant because it is the first formal permanent injunction against the administration using the AEA and contends the president is misusing the law. The Trump administration claims that TdA is acting at the behest of the Venezuelan government. …

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(Excerpt from Fox News. Photo Credit: U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee)