Written by Luke Harrison.

A pack of 26 state attorneys general, with Virginia’s Jason Miyares and South Carolina’s Alan Wilson out front, tossed an amicus brief into the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on March 18, 2025. They’re gunning to kill a nationwide restraining order that’s jamming up Trump’s plan to ship out Tren de Aragua gang members fast. This all blew up after Chief Judge James Boasberg, down in D.C.’s District Court, slammed the brakes Saturday night—planes were already flying when he said stop.

Trump kicked this off by pulling the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 out of the history books, targeting Venezuelan gangbangers he’d pegged as trouble. Boasberg’s order wasn’t subtle—turn those planes around, he said, covering every noncitizen tied to Trump’s call. The administration’s hollering back: we appealed to the D.C. Circuit, and those aircraft were past U.S. airspace when the ruling hit. It’s like a foreman yelling “halt” after the crew’s already left the site—too late, or maybe not?

AGs Say Safety’s at Stake

The AGs aren’t here to mess around—their brief claims Boasberg’s stunt is a gut punch to public safety and national security. They’re standing up for Trump’s order, saying it’s got legs under the Constitution and laws letting the president handle foreign threats. Miyares laid it out cold: government’s gotta protect folks, and Trump’s doing that by kicking out Tren de Aragua—a gang that’s been leaving bodies and dope trails from Texas to New York.

They’re ticked at Boasberg too—say he barged past his lane, issuing that order without sizing up the White House’s security angle. Trump’s people argue they didn’t break rules; planes landed in El Salvador, out of reach by the time the judge’s pen moved. It’s a power scrap—imagine a middle manager nixing a CEO’s call after the deal’s half-done. The AGs want the Circuit to ditch the block and let deportations fly.

Tren de Aragua’s no joke—Trump stamped them a terrorist outfit in January, lumping them with seven other Latin American crews. They’ve been tied to shootings, trafficking, you name it, popping up in headlines from Denver to Chicago. The coalition’s point is blunt: these guys don’t belong here, and Boasberg’s freeze keeps the danger close. If your neighborhood’s had a rash of break-ins, you’d get why they’re mad—waiting’s not an option.

Politics Turns Into a Brawl

This brief’s dropping in a hornet’s nest. Texas Rep. Brandon Gill just slapped impeachment papers on Boasberg, screaming judicial overreach. Trump piled on via Truth Social, calling the judge a “Radical Left Lunatic” and backing Gill’s play—impeach him, he says. That got Chief Justice John Roberts off his bench Tuesday, tossing a rare jab: courts don’t bow to impeachment threats over rulings; that’s what appeals are for.

The AG crew—stretching from Alabama to West Virginia—ain’t backing off. They’re not just propping Trump’s legal ground; they’re hammering a bigger idea: judges can’t hogtie the president when lives are on the line. Miyares doubled down—Tren de Aragua’s a transnational nightmare, and the law’s dead clear on who stays. It’s a 26-state muscle flex against a judge they figure overplayed his hand.

Roberts stirring the pot’s a curveball. He’s saying courts won’t flinch under pressure, but the AGs and Trump’s squad aren’t blinking either. This isn’t ivory-tower stuff—gangs hit real streets. I’ve talked to folks who’ve seen their blocks turn dicey; they don’t care about legal niceties, just results. That’s where this fight’s rooted.

Our Take

This AG push is a heavy swing—26 states telling the Circuit to dump Boasberg’s order’s no small noise. Trump’s Alien Enemies Act move’s gutsy, and they’ve got a decent shot: gang thugs with rap sheets don’t get a pass, and the president’s got room to act. Boasberg’s block’s got some legs—airspace rules are a tangle—but yanking planes mid-trip feels like a judge playing king when safety’s hanging.

Here’s my gut: the AGs are onto something—nobody sane wants Tren de Aragua loitering, and Trump’s delivering what voters yelled for: lock it down, ship ’em out. Roberts is right—courts aren’t doormats—but this TRO’s clogging a pipe that needs to flow. Circuit’s call is make-or-break; lift it, and deportations win out. Stall it, and this brawl’s just warming up.