A federal judge has backed the government’s use of an old wartime law to deport certain Venezuelan nationals tied to organized crime. The decision could reshape immigration and national security policy in the U.S.

The case, decided by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, followed “months of legal challenges and public debate.” It centered on an executive order that labeled a violent Venezuelan gang as a “hostile foreign organization.”

Officials said the gang’s actions posed “an organized threat akin to an incursion into national territory,” allowing the government to act under the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) — a rarely used law from the late 1700s.

Supporters call the ruling a necessary step against transnational crime, while critics warn it sets a dangerous precedent for deportations based on broad definitions of security threats.

The decision marks “a significant development in immigration and national security policy” and may pave the way for similar actions against other groups deemed threats to the United States.