The Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which gives the president power to detain or deport foreign “enemies,” could be broadly applied to target any non-citizens that Trump declares a threat

Donald Trump is vowing to invoke a 226-year-old law to justify mass detainments and deportations in the United States, saying that Election Day will be known as “Liberation Day” if he is handed the keys to the White House.

The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 is a widely condemned immigration law that gives the president sweeping powers to bypass equal protection and due process while targeting foreign citizens. When it has been invoked, it has led to human rights crises that history looks down upon — but the law has not formally been repealed by Congress.

In a recent social media post after speaking in Aurora, Colo., about immigrants, Trump wrote, “We are now known, all throughout the world, as OCCUPIED AMERICA…But to everyone here in Colorado and all across our nation, I make you this vow: November 5th, 2024 will be LIBERATION DAY in America.”


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  • @dohpaz42
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    933 days ago

    If it’s so “widely condemned” then why hasn’t congress repealed it? 🤔

    • @Arbiter
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      473 days ago

      Why won’t the state surrender power? It’s a mystery.

      • abff08f4813c
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        120 hours ago

        To me what’s surprising is that no court has overturned it yet.

        I guess though because it hasn’t been invoked since the 1940s so there’s no defendant to sue in a modern court…

    • @AbidanYre
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      2 days ago

      No lobbyists are paying them to.