A federal judge in Colorado extended a ban on the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport Venezuelan immigrants. The judge ruled that immigrants must be given 21 days’ notice and access to an attorney before deportation.

The Center Square reports:

A federal judge in Colorado Tuesday extended her ban on the Trump administration’s use of an 18th-century law to deport Venezuelan immigrants from the state and ruled federal authorities must give illegal immigrants 21 days’ notice before removals.

U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney, who heard arguments Monday from the U.S. Department of Justice and immigration rights groups, decided to extend her temporary restraining order to May 6 and said she might continue it even longer. Her order temporarily prevents the government from invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport immigrants to a prison in El Salvador, various media outlets reported.

Sweeney’s written ruling Tuesday included a requirement that the immigrants be given notice in a language that they understand that they have the right to an attorney.

Last week Sweeney temporarily blocked deportations after a request by the American Civil Liberties Union, representing two Venezuelan men being held in Aurora, Colorado, who feared they would be falsely accused of belonging to the gang Tren de Aragua. The ACLU has said there are about 100 people at the Aurora U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement center who are at risk of being sent to the CECOT prison in El Salvador.

During court arguments Monday in Denver, the DOJ told Sweeney that anyone subject to deportation under the act would be given 24 hours to challenge their deportation in court, CBS News Colorado reported.

But attorneys with the ACLU and the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, who are suing the Trump administration to challenge the deportations and say 11 people have been deported from Colorado to El Salvador, told the judge 24 hours isn’t enough time.

It isn’t enough time for people who likely don’t speak English, don’t have a lawyer, don’t have access to a phone and may not have a high level of education, Tim Macdonald, legal director of the ACLU of Colorado, told CBS News.

The U.S. Supreme Court Saturday temporarily blocked the deportations of any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

Earlier, the court ruled the Trump administration may use the 18th-century law, but must grant court hearings for the illegal immigrants before they’re deported.

President Donald Trump said it isn’t possible to have trials for every person targeted for deportation.

“We cannot give everyone a trial, because to do so would take, without exaggeration, 200 years,” Trump wrote Monday on his social media platform, Truth Social. “We would need hundreds of thousands of trials for the hundreds of thousands of Illegals we are sending out of the Country.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced an $800 million deficit, plans for 1,647 layoffs, and a trip to Sacramento to seek a state bailout. The city’s budget crisis, exacerbated by economic uncertainty and falling revenue, necessitates these measures, though the proposed budget does not cut sworn firefighters or police officers.

The Center Square reports:

 Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Monday the city faces an $800 million deficit, plans plans to lay off 1,647 staff, is seeking a state bailout and has “identified new revenue.”

Bass blamed the Trump administration and the economy for falling revenue.

“Cities like ours are going through challenging economic times across the nation,” said Bass. “Turmoil and uncertainty from Washington and a slowing economy are causing lower revenue projections.”

With 61,455 employees, 1,647 layoffs equate to a workforce reduction of 2.7%. With just over $8.3 billion paid out in payroll last year, the city pays its employees an average of $135,355 per year, or more than double the median citywide salary of $57,247 per year.

This means the announced layoffs would only cover about a quarter of the at least $800 million deficit.

During her State of the City address Monday, Bass said she is traveling to Sacramento to seek a state bailout, but if the state is either unwilling or unable to fund such a bailout amid falling sales and corporate tax revenue and employment, more layoffs could be necessary.

“The city attorney and I will be in Sacramento this week to meet with legislative leaders and advocate for resources while also working to manage the increasing liabilities,” said Bass.

City Controller Kenneth Mejia has been warning the city is “going broke” since the middle of last year — the city’s budget was in crisis even before the January fires.

Mejia says the city’s revenue for the current fiscal year is expected to come in $140 million below projections, while spending is $300 million higher than expected.

Mejia estimates revenues for the coming fiscal year will be $79 million lower than the updated projections for the current year due to dampening economic projection due to tariffs and “pullback in entertainment industry.”

“The impact of remote work, automation, artificial intelligence and online sales will continue to erode traditional sources of City tax revenue,” wrote Mejia. “Federal grants (which significantly increased under the last Administration) are expected to drop given the winding down of previous COVID recovery funds and the uncertainty regarding federal funds from the new Administration.”

Bass’s budget proposes spending $13.92 billion against $13.95 billion in revenue, including $8.06 billion assumed in general receipts revenue. Should general receipts be $7.89 billion as expected by Mejia, the city would fall well short of its budget, necessitating further cuts.

Notably, the proposed budget does not cut the number of sworn firefighters or police officers.