A Trump-appointed federal judge has ruled that the US president cannot use the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan migrants.
US District Judge Fernando Rodriguez said Donald Trump’s use of the wartime power was “unlawful” and had been improperly invoked.
The law was written in 1798 to allow the removal of non-citizens in times of war or invasion. It has been used by Trump to deport Venezuelans to El Salvador on the basis they were members of the Tren de Aragua gang and “conducting irregular warfare”.
The judge said the act only applied when the US was facing an “armed organised attack”, which it is not. The administration has not commented.
The_Caretaker@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
You can’t use it to deport anyone. The Alien enemies act is null and void. The 14th amendment and the Civil Rights Act make the use of the Alien Enemies Act illegal and unconstitutional. To use the Alien Enemies Act requires that you alter how the laws are enforced according to race, ethnicity, or national origin of the persons being targeted for enforcement. It was originally used to remove people of French origin because the Federalist party didn’t want immigrants from France or Americans of French decent supporting the Democratic-Republican party. (which is now the fake two party system we have)