President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target a Venezuelan gang accused of infiltrating the United States. This wartime law allows the president to detain and deport migrants from a hostile nation during times of declared war or invasion. Trump’s proclamation accuses the Venezuelan gang Tren De Aragua of engaging in irregular warfare and drug trafficking in the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated the gang a foreign terrorist organization.
The American Civil Liberties Union and Democracy Forward filed a lawsuit to prevent the deportation of five Venezuelan men under the act, leading to a temporary restraining order from Chief Judge James E. Boasberg. The Trump administration has appealed this ruling. Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act fulfills a campaign promise to target gang members and drug dealers. He is the first president in almost a century to invoke the act outside of major conflict.
The law was last used in 1941 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt against Japanese, German, and Italian migrants during World War II, a decision that the U.S. has since apologized for. Trump’s use of the act has raised concerns about its constitutionality and potential impact on civil liberties.
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