US appeals court upholds block on Trump administration deportation of some Venezuelans

A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday upheld a lower court's temporary block on the Trump administration's deportation of some Venezuelan immigrants under a little-used 18th century law. The decision by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit marks a defeat for Republican President Donald Trump, who argued U.S. District Judge James Boasberg's two-week ban on deportations under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act encroached on the executive's authority to make national security decisions.

The Trump administration may ask the U.S. Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, to review the case.