West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey joined a group of 27 attorneys general to defend the Trump administration’s recent actions against the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
The attorneys general are requesting a stay of the district court’s recent Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), which halted President Trump’s efforts to address this violent and dangerous newly designated foreign terrorist organization.
“We are dealing with the worst of the worst here—Tren de Aragua has been designated a foreign terrorist organization, so President Trump is exercising his constitutional authority to protect the nation and its people.
“It is a matter of national security,” Attorney General McCuskey stated. In the brief, the Attorney General joined the coalition in stating that the Venezuelan gang “has ravaged innocent citizens across the country.”
The brief explains why “the States finally have a welcome partner in the Presidency willing to fight for the safety and security of the American people” as well as how “the public interest weighs in favor of the safety and security of American citizens.”
“The Supreme Court must reaffirm that protecting our nation is the President’s constitutional duty,” the Attorney General added.
The brief contends that the district court’s temporary restraining order should be stayed for two reasons: it jeopardizes public safety in the United States and our national security, and it fails to properly recognize the President’s constitutional and statutory authority to protect national security.
Attorney General McCuskey emphasized that President Trump acted within his rights under the Constitution and US laws, particularly through the powers granted by Article II. These powers give the president broad authority to act against foreign threats, including transnational criminal organizations like Tren de Aragua.
West Virginia joined the amicus brief led by South Carolina and Virginia, which included Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.
