Six members of America's highest judicial body were appointed by Republican presidents, with three having been added to it during President Donald Trump's first term in office.

Yet in a development which may leave the White House furious, one legal analyst recently suggested that the Supreme Court may "go toe to toe" with Trump. 

Ruling concerns use of the Alien Enemies Act

According to Newsweek, the conflict concerns Trump's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law which allows for citizens of countries which are at war with the United States to swiftly.

The president has used the legislation to target alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua by signing a proclamation last month which designated it as a foreign terrorist organization.

The proclamation accused Tren de Aragua "conducting irregular warfare and undertaking hostile actions against the United States" in conjunction with Venezuela's hostile government.

NPR noted that the Alien Enemies Act was previously used during the War of 18, World War I, and World War II to detain foreign nationals.

Justices block further use of the Alien Enemies Act

However, the Supreme Court issued a temporary injunction early on Saturday morning which forbade further use of the Alien Enemies Act while a challenge to it is being litigated.

"There is before the Court an application on behalf of a putative class of detainees seeking an injunction against their removal under the Alien Enemies Act. The matter is currently pending before the Fifth Circuit," the decision read.

"Upon action by the Fifth Circuit, the Solicitor General is invited to file a response to the application before this Court as soon as possible," it continued.

"The Government is directed not to remove any member of the putative class of detainees from the United States until further order of this Court," the ruling went on to add.

Legal analyst calls order " a massive signal from the Supreme Court"

Newsweek noted how legal analyst Mark Joseph Stern addressed the move in a post on the left-wing social media platform Bluesky.

Stern said it was "potentially a massive signal from the Supreme Court that it is finally prepared to go toe to toe with Trump to halt [Alien Enemies Act] deportations."

He also described the ruling as being "a huge victory for the migrants here and a major defeat for Trump's lawless effort to rush out a rendition flight before the courts could act."

Stern further added, "It is SO unusual for the Supreme Court to issue an order this late at night and honestly incredible only Thomas and Alito noted their dissents."