Washington DC - President Donald Trump will be allowed to deport people it accuses of being gang members on the basis of an 18th century war law, as long as his administration ensures some form of due process, the US Supreme Court ruled on Monday.

The plaintiffs had been detained in Texas and should have filed a lawsuit there, not in Washington DC, the justices ruled, overturning a decision by federal judge James Boasberg.

Boasberg had ruled that the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 did not provide an adequate legal basis for the deportations of suspected gang members and had ordered their suspension.

The Supreme Court, which ruled 5-4 in favor of lifting Boasberg's order, noted that "the detainees' rights against summary removal, however, are not currently in dispute" and that "the detainees are entitled to notice and opportunity to be heard 'appropriate to the nature of the case.'"

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The ruling leaves open the possibility that those affected could re-file their case in Texas.

"The Court's disagreement with the dissenters is not over whether the detainees receive judicial review of their transfers – all nine Members of the Court agree that judicial review is available. The only question is where that judicial review should occur," said Justice Brett Kavanaugh in his concurring opinion.

In March, the Trump administration deported to El Salvador more than 200 people it accused without evidence of being members of Tren de Aragua. Many of those removed were targeted simply on the basis of their tattoos and have no connection to ani criminal groups.

It invoked the Alien Enemies Act – last used during World War II – arguing the gang was waging "irregular warfare" against the US under the direction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The law allows the president to bypass normal immigration procedures to detain or deport foreign nationals from hostile nations, but typically requires the US to be at war or facing an "invasion or predatory attack."

Trump celebrated the Supreme Court ruling as "A GREAT DAY FOR JUSTICE IN AMERICA!" on social media.

"The Supreme Court has upheld the Rule of Law in our Nation by allowing a President, whoever that may be, to be able to secure our Borders, and protect our families and our Country, itself," he wrote.

Vice President JD Vance said that "the Supreme Court today rejected the idea that far left judges in DC can overrule President Trump's immigration enforcement."

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"This is a major loss for the lunatics and a major win for the American people," Vance continued.

The ACLU, which had challenged Trump's order in court, stressed that the court "ruled to protect due process, meaning no one can be removed without a chance to challenge their deportation."

The organization pledged to "keep fighting" until Trump's use of the Alien Enemy Act "is blocked for good."