Show-Me State Times

Attorney General Andrew Bailey has joined a coalition of 25 states in submitting a friend-of-the-court brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The brief supports President Donald Trump's use of executive authority to deport members of Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Venezuelan gang classified as a foreign terrorist organization.

The document argues that the President is acting within his constitutional and statutory powers, as defined by Article II of the U.S. Constitution and the Alien Enemies Act, to expel foreign nationals linked to hostile groups. It asserts that this action is both lawful and necessary due to increasing violence associated with TdA across the United States.

"President Trump is using the tools at his disposal to protect American lives, and Missouri proudly has his back," stated Attorney General Andrew Bailey. "Tren de Aragua is a foreign terrorist group that has trafficked women, murdered civilians, and infiltrated our borders. The President has the constitutional duty to act, and I will use every legal tool at my disposal to support him in securing our nation."

The participating states outline how TdA's activities have negatively impacted communities nationwide through murder, human trafficking, and cartel-linked operations throughout the country. They also emphasize that TdA's expansion poses not only a domestic security threat but also forms part of broader hybrid warfare efforts supported by Venezuela's Maduro regime.

The coalition insists that judicial overreach should not hinder the President from executing his primary responsibility of defending the nation. The brief urges the court to dismiss any injunctions preventing federal authorities from removing dangerous illegal immigrants connected to foreign terrorist networks.

States joining Missouri in this effort include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas Virginia West Virginia and Wyoming.