Federal judges in New York and Texas on Wednesday issued orders to temporarily halt the deportation of Venezuelan plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act – a wartime authority the administration has invoked to deport alleged gang members without due process.

McALLEN — Federal judges in Texas and New York on Wednesday moved to block the U.S. government from deporting five Venezuelans under a rarely-invoked law that gives the president the power to imprison and deport noncitizens in times of war.