Washington, DC —In a chilling escalation, it appears the Trump administration has begun executing deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a wartime authority never before used in this manner. This ruthless move is both unlawful and a dangerous expansion of executive power.
Early this morning, the ACLU and Democracy Forward sued the Trump administration over “the unexpected unlawful and unprecedented invocation of the Alien Enemies Act.” In response, Chief Judge James Boasberg issued a restraining order against the Trump administration, placing a temporary halt on the Trump administration’s attempt at constitutional overreach. Two related hearings are scheduled – one for today and one for Monday.
Today’s actions follow a week of anti-democratic actions by the Trump administration:
- Readied the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, infamously used to justify the internment of Japanese, German, and Italians during World War II, to seize sweeping new powers to conduct indiscriminate mass deportations.
- Initiated deportation proceedings against a green card holder for protesting on a college campus – a clear attempt to weaponize immigration law to chill political dissent and free speech across the country.
- And the sitting Vice President offered a disturbing encapsulation of the right wing project to remake America around MAGA’s preferred image, with J.D. Vance stating on Fox News regarding the Mahmoud Khalil case and implications, “It’s about who do we, as an American public, decide gets to join our national community? And if the Secretary of State and President decide a person shouldn’t be in America, it’s as simple as that.”
The following is a statement from Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice, reacting to the larger implications of this week:
“The Trump administration’s expanded immigration crackdown is just the tip of a very dangerous spear aimed at the heart of American democracy and the rights and liberties of all Americans.
By invoking archaic wartime powers to justify mass deportations and punishing political dissent, the Trump Administration is making clear that their ultimate goal isn’t just about immigration, it’s about consolidating power, stoking fear, and undermining the very foundation of our democracy. Taken together, these actions take America back to the darkest chapters of our history. The chaos and intimidation are not side effects, they are the strategy.
Ripped from the playbook of authoritarian movements, it’s not hyperbolic to say they are looking to dismantle the country’s core principles, viewing the executive branch and state power as means to seek political retribution, crack down on free speech and subvert or ignore the rule of law.
To push back and stand up for a different vision of America, we need to be clear eyed about what we’re seeing and the larger stakes and not pretend its business as usual.”
