The Alien Enemies Act: What to know about a 1798 law that Trump has invoked for deportations

President Donald Trump on Saturday invoked the Alien Enemies Act for the first time since World War II, granting himself sweeping powers under a centuries-old law to deport people associated with a Venezuelan gang.

Topics

Trump Invoked the Alien Enemies Act to Speed Up Deportations: What to Know

The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 gives the president wartime powers to deport undocumented immigrants with little to no due process.
The New York Times - 1d
What is the Alien Enemies Act Trump invoked to speed deportations?

President Trump has invoked the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act to allow the federal government to detain or deport people from countries deemed foreign adversaries, including targeting cartels as ...
The Hill - 3d
Trump to invoke wartime power from 1798 for Guantanamo deportations

President Trump is planning to invoke a wartime law known as the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 as soon as Friday to authorize the summary deportation of some migrants.
CBS News - 5d
Law professor speaks on legality of deportations under Trump invoking Alien Enemies Act

Professor of law at Georgetown University David Super speaks with NBC News' Gadi Schwartz about President Trump's invoking of the Alien Enemies Act and the legality of the deportations used under it.
NBC News - 23h
What is the 1798 law that Trump used to deport migrants?

The wartime Alien Enemies Act has been controversially used to deport Venezuelans to a mega-jail in El Salvador.
BBC News - 1d
What to know about Trump's court-defying deportations under Alien Enemies Act

The Trump administration says 261 people were deported to El Salvador on Saturday, 137 of whom were removed under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 over alleged gang ties. The move came despite a ...
CBS News - 1d
Legal expert on how Trump's use of Alien Enemies Act compares to past cases

President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act to justify deporting Venezuelan immigrants, claiming an "invasion" of gang-affiliated individuals. The law, passed in 1798, has only been used three ...
CBS News - 1d
Judge blocks Trump from using 18th-century wartime act for deportations

Trump had invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport five Venezuelans, but order halted by judge. Alien Enemies Act: what is it and can Trump use it to deport gang members? Donald Trump ...
The Guardian - 3d
Trump invokes Alien Enemies Act in mass deportation effort

President Trump invoked the Aliens Enemies Act (AEA) of 1798 on Saturday, fulfilling a campaign promise and GOP party platform point by initiating a concerted effort to remove Venezuelan ...
The Hill - 3d
Judge blocks deportations under 1798 law, orders flights turned around

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from deporting any noncitizens pursuant to the president's recent proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act.
ABC News - 2d
Judge blocks Trump admin from deporting 5 Venezuelans amid plans to invoke Alien Enemies Act

A federal judge on Saturday preemptively blocked the Trump administration's reported efforts to quickly deport five Venezuelan nationals under the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) of 1798. The move from ...
The Hill - 3d
The history of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798

A federal judge heard arguments Monday on whether the White House violated a court order by deporting migrants without proper court hearings. The Trump administration claims it has the authority ...
CBS News - 1d
Judge expands temporary block on Trump's plan to use the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans

President Donald Trump on Saturday invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target a Venezuelan gang he accused of "unlawfully infiltrating" the United States.
NBC News - 3d
What is the Alien Enemies Act that Trump plans on using to deport migrants to Guantanamo Bay?

Multiple U.S. officials familiar with President Trump's immigration plans say he will invoke a 227-year-old wartime law to authorize the deportation of some migrants as soon as Friday. This would ...
CBS News - 5d
Trump administration deports immigrants despite judge blocking use of Alien Enemies Act

The White House is disregarding a federal judge's ruling on immigration, claiming the court has no authority. The ruling was meant to block the Trump administration from invoking the Alien Enemies ...
CBS News - 1d
What is Tren de Aragua, Venezuelan gang targeted by Trump for deportations?

Tren de Aragua, commonly known as TdA, is the Venezuelan gang targeted by President Trump in recent mass deportations. On Saturday, Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, the first time it’s ...
The Hill - 1d
Judge orders hearing over Trump deportations under Alien Enemies Act despite court ruling

A federal judge has scheduled a hearing for Monday afternoon on whether the Trump administration violated a court order against using a law passed in 1798 to deport hundreds of undocumented ...
CBS News - 1d
Judge blocks Trump administration from implementing Alien Enemies Act

A federal judge expanded his ruling temporarily blocking the Trump administration from invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 on Saturday preventing the removal of Venezuelan undocumented ...
The Hill - 3d
Trump preparing to invoke 1798 wartime law for Guantánamo deportations

President Trump is planning to use a wartime law from 1798 to help carry out deportations to Guantánamo Bay, according to multiple U.S. officials familiar with the plan. CBS News immigration and ...
CBS News - 5d
Live updates: Trump blocked from using Alien Enemies Act; Houthis vow retaliation after US airstrikes

A federal judge expanded his ruling temporarily blocking the Trump administration from invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 on Saturday, preventing the removal of Venezuelan undocumented ...
The Hill - 2d
A judge limits Trump's ability to deport people under the 18th century Alien Enemies Act

A federal judge on Saturday blocked the Trump administration from using an 18th century law known as the Alien Enemies Act to deport five Venezuelans, kicking off a blizzard of litigation over the ...
NBC News - 3d
What Is Tren de Aragua?

A gang with roots in a Venezuelan prison, the criminal group was at the center of President Trump’s order invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
The New York Times - 3d
Trump's use of Alien Enemies Act blasted as abuse of power

The White House’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to remove Venezuelans it has accused of being gang members is an abuse of war powers that critics say could open the door to mass deportations from a ...
The Hill - 4h
Judge orders Trump White House to disclose deportation flight details

The Trump administration went to court Monday defending its decision to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 and deport hundreds of alleged gang members to El Salvador. On Saturday night, a judge ...
CBS News - 1d
Trump calls for impeachment of judge who blocked Alien Enemies Act deportations

In a social media post, President Trump called for the impeachment of a federal judge who ordered the halting of deportations under the Alien Enemies Act. NBC News' Gabe Gutierrez reports on how ...
NBC News - 10h
White House touts deportations under Alien Enemies Act after judge block efforts

The Trump administration announced deportations of hundreds of immigrants it alleges are members of a Venezuelan gang to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act.
NBC News - 2d
Rubio announces deportations day after judge blocks using Alien Enemies Act

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Sunday that hundreds of members of the Tren de Aragua gang have been deported under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, even as a federal judge ordered the ...
The Hill - 2d
Breakdown of Alien Enemies Act and Trump administration's deportation flights against judge's order

The Trump administration has until noon Tuesday to share details with a federal judge about the deportation flights carrying undocumented Venezuelans. The White House carried out the flights even ...
CBS News - 11h
GOP senator weighs in on Trump’s 1798 immigration law, judge’s attempt to block it

Republican Sen. Mike Rounds (S.D.) appeared Sunday on CNN, where he spoke about President Trump’s decision to invoke a 1798 immigration law and a federal judge’s attempt to block it. On Saturday, ...
The Hill - 2d
Judge blocks Trump from using wartime Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants

Presidents are given the extraordinary power by the 227-year-old law to order the arrest, detention and deportation of noncitizens who are 14 years or older and come from countries staging an ...
CBS News - 3d
DOJ seeks to boot judge questioning Trump deportations, lawyer warns of 'constitutional crisis'

The Trump administration has used the wartime Alien Enemies Act to deport hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members to Central America.
CNBC - 14h
White House denies violating judge’s order with Venezuela deportations

Trump administration used Alien Enemies Act to deport about 250 alleged gang members to El Salvador. US politics live – latest updates The White House has denied allegations that it engaged in ...
The Guardian - 1d
Judge incredulous in Trump deportation case as administration lawyers argue verbal court order isn’t binding – as it happened

This blog has now closed. You can read more of our US politics coverage here . White House denies violating judge’s order with Venezuela deportations What is the Alien Enemies Act and how is ...
The Guardian - 1d
Judge lashes out at Trump admin over deportation flights

A federal judge lashed out at the Trump administration Monday for refusing to answer questions about flights deporting Venezuelan migrants under the Alien Enemies Act after he ordered them to turn ...
The Hill - 1d
Timeline of Trump’s Deportation Flights, From Alien Enemies Act to Judge’s Order

A New York Times review of flight data showed that at the time of a federal judge’s order, two flights were in the air, and one had not yet taken off.
The New York Times - 13h
Timeline: Trump's race against courts to deport gang members under Alien Enemies Act

A minute-by-minute timeline of events of the Trump administration's race against the clock to deport alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
ABC News - 1d
Trump invokes wartime act, orders deportation of suspected Venezuelan gangs

President Trump's extraordinary order is breathtaking in its scope and has little precedent in U.S. history.
CBS News - 2d
Trump administration pushes to have deportation case reassigned to another judge

The Trump administration is pushing to change the judge overseeing a challenge to the president’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to carry out swift deportations. The Justice Department made ...
The Hill - 1d
Trump calls to impeach judge who ordered halt to Alien Enemies Act deportations

President Donald Trump is expected to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin this morning as the United States tries to mediate a diplomatic solution to end the war in Ukraine.
NBC News - 15h

More from NBC News

Kornacki: White men, white women and the gap within the gender gap

NBC News National Political Correspondent Steve Kornacki digs into a NBC News poll that shows divisions along race and gender lines in how the American electorate views DEI initiatives and more.
NBC News - 5h
Trump must understand Putin ‘respects strength’ during talks over Ukraine war: Fmr. Amb. to Russia

Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul discusses the call between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and what talks could mean for the end of the war in Ukraine.
NBC News - 6h
US judge rules Prince Harry immigration records be made public

Five years after moving to the United States, Prince Harry’s private immigration records could be made public after a judge ordered them to be released amid allegations he may have lied on his visa ...
NBC News - 14h
Trump's battle with court ramps up over deportation of Venezuelans

The Trump administration is facing a growing legal battle as a federal judge is now questioning whether his order halting the deportation of undocumented migrants was ignored. The Justice ...
NBC News - 15h
Trump and Putin meeting to center on Ukrainian territory, assets

President Donald Trump is set to hold a high-stakes phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to speak about plans for a ceasefire in Ukraine. The White House is talking one-on-one with ...
NBC News - 15h