In a major legal defeat for Donald Trump, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7–2 against his administration’s attempt to deport more than 50 Venezuelan immigrants without proper legal process. The decision included votes from three justices Trump himself had appointed, signaling a powerful rebuke from the conservative-majority court.

Last month, the Trump administration tried to deport the immigrants within 24 hours, allegedly sending some to a notorious prison in El Salvador. One man claimed he was forced to sign removal papers written in English, a language he did not understand. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) quickly intervened and managed to get the Supreme Court to issue an emergency order in the middle of the night, temporarily halting the deportations.

Justice Samuel Alito dissented strongly, criticizing the majority for acting “literally in the middle of the night.” However, the majority ruled that giving just 24 hours’ notice without information on legal rights violated the Constitution’s guarantee of due process.

The ruling adds to a growing list of court losses for Trump’s immigration agenda, which many critics view as heavily influenced by former advisor Stephen Miller’s hardline policies. Public protests have intensified in cities like Boston, Milwaukee, and San Jose, where demonstrators oppose Trump’s efforts to end birthright citizenship and criminalize aid to undocumented immigrants.

Outside the Supreme Court, citizens gathered to express frustration over what they see as inhumane and unlawful actions by the administration. Trump responded to the ruling with a social media post complaining that the Court was preventing him from doing what he was elected to do.

With his deportation plans blocked and his tough stance on immigration facing legal resistance, Trump’s strategy appears to be losing momentum—both in the courts and in the court of public opinion.