The Supreme Court’s AEA Ruling Opened a Dangerous Door
On April 7, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled the Trump administration can resume deportations under the Alien Enemies Act (AEA)—a 1798 law written for wartime threats. However, it included a vague safeguard: migrants must be given “reasonable time” to challenge their deportation in court.
It sounds like due process. It’s not! “Reasonable time” is so broad and undefined that it gives the administration full control over what justice means and how fast it moves.
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What Does “Reasonable Time” Really Mean?
That’s the problem. The Court didn’t define it.
There’s no set number of hours or days. No guaranteed time to find a lawyer. No requirement for translation, for evidence, or even a clear explanation of the charges.
“Reasonable time” is vague on purpose. That gives the government the power to decide what’s reasonable and what’s not.
And in immigration court, speed is a weapon.
The Performance of Due Process
What the ruling really offers is the performance of due process. People will get hearings—but:
They’ll be quick, often minutes long.
Many migrants will have no legal representation.
The burden is on them to disprove a vague or secretive allegation of gang involvement.
They may not even understand the charges until it’s too late.
So yes, they’ll technically get “time” to challenge removal. But it won’t be meaningful and it won’t stop the deportations, it’ll just slow them down a tiny bit to look legitimate on paper.
Why It Matters
This ruling sets a dangerous precedent. It says the government can use a centuries-old wartime law and carry out mass removals, as long as it sprinkles in just enough legal formality to check the due process box.
But due process isn’t a box. It’s a principle. And when that principle is reduced to vague language like “reasonable time,” it stops protecting people and starts protecting power.
This isn’t a balancing act between security and liberty. It’s the erosion of liberty in the name of security, with courts too cautious to draw a line in the sand.
What Comes Next
Advocates will likely push for stricter definitions of “reasonable time” in the lower courts. Civil liberties groups may demand stronger procedural safeguards. But while those battles play out, real people, many of whom fled violence, poverty, and political persecution, will be forced out of the country under a law that treats them as enemies without ever proving they’re a threat.
We should be honest about what this ruling really does. It doesn’t uphold due process. It outsources it. And in the hands of a government more concerned with numbers than justice, that’s a deeply dangerous thing.
What Centered America Is Doing
At Centered America, we believe vague language like “reasonable time” cannot be allowed to stand in for real justice.
We’re taking action.
We’re monitoring how this ruling is being applied in real time—tracking the speed, structure, and outcomes of these so-called court hearings.
We’re launching a campaign to pressure lawmakers—especially our Democratic leaders—to reject silence and confront the dangerous misuse of wartime powers against vulnerable populations.
And most importantly, we’re informing the public. Through our growing Substack community, we’re exposing the legal shortcuts being passed off as policy.
If you believe in that fight, join us. This is not all that we are doing, we are constantly working on even more action, more resources, and more information for the public.
OUR MISSION AT CENTERED AMERICA:
Centered America is a non-profit organization created to reform the Democratic Party’s messaging in a way that reconnects with communities and voters across the aisle. Now more than ever, people feel underrepresented by the Democratic Party. We have to change that. We have to step out of our comfort zones to educate, empathize, and open our arms to everyday Americans—not by backing down from our values, but by finding common ground to bring all people into the conversation and fight back against the rise of oligarchy in America. We care about our democratic principles and we are defending them.
Centered America won’t stop fighting for you, and won’t stop fighting to uphold our constitutional and democratic principles.
Keep fighting for our democracy, keep fighting for America,
Sharad & Gavin | The Centered America Team