FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 20, 2025) –Attorney General Russell Coleman announced today he stands with the Trump Administration in efforts to deport members of a violent South American gang. Coleman has joined a 25-state coalition in filing a brief supporting President Donald Trump’s use of executive authority to deport members of Tren de Aragua (TdA), a violent Venezuelan gang designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
The brief, filed this week in the in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, notes President Trump is using his constitutional and statutory authority under Article II of the U.S. Constitution and the Alien Enemies Act to remove foreign nationals affiliated with hostile organizations. The brief underscores that this is not only a lawful use of power, but a necessary one in response to escalating violence across the nation tied to Tren de Aragua.
“There is no place in Kentucky or anywhere in our country for violent criminals and drug traffickers who have come here illegally,” said Attorney General Coleman, “President Trump continues acting to protect Americans and legal immigrants, which is exactly what Kentuckians elected him to do.”
The brief strongly urges the court to allow federal authorities to continue removing dangerous illegal immigrants to protect American families.
General Coleman joined the South Carolina-led brief along with attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Read the brief.