A federal judge has ruled in favor of the government’s use of a rarely used wartime statute to facilitate the deportation of some Venezuelan nationals suspected of involvement in organized crime, a landmark decision that could have far-reaching effects.

The decision could mark a new stage in the way law enforcement deals with those connected to transnational criminal organizations and is a major step forward in immigration and national security policy.

After months of legal challenges and public discussion, a judge from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania rendered the decision.

An executive order that was signed earlier this year and officially classified a violent gang with Venezuelan roots as a hostile foreign organization was at the center of the case.

In order to justify extraordinary measures under the late 18th-century Alien Enemies Act (AEA), officials contended that the group’s actions constituted an organized threat similar to an invasion of national territory.