Big Sky Times

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has joined a coalition of 26 attorneys general in support of President Donald J. Trump's initiative to deport members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA). This gang has been classified as a foreign terrorist organization.

The group filed an amicus brief on Tuesday with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, requesting a stay on a lower court's temporary restraining order (TRO). The TRO currently prevents President Trump from using the "Alien Enemies Act" to deport unlawful residents from enemy nations. The attorneys argue that the TRO endangers public safety and fails to acknowledge the President’s authority to safeguard national security.

"Each State is directly impacted by criminal activity perpetuated by violent foreign gangs. And each State has an interest in protecting its citizens from such criminal activity. That’s why Amici States support robust actions against gangs like the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (‘TdA’) that are wreaking havoc within our borders," stated the attorneys general. They emphasized that Trump's executive order leverages constitutional and statutory powers to expel Venezuelan TdA members who lack American citizenship or lawful permanent residency.

The district court's ruling is seen as undermining presidential authority under Article II of the Constitution, which grants significant power to address foreign threats, including those posed by transnational criminal organizations like TdA.

The attorneys also highlighted that the district court "failed to fully weigh the public interest, overlooking how its TRO will directly undermine the security of the States." They referenced incidents involving TdA members, such as Laken Riley's murder and an apartment complex takeover in Aurora, Colorado.

Attorneys general from states including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma Pennsylvania South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah and West Virginia have joined this effort led by South Carolina and Virginia.