Trump invokes Alien Enemies Act for deportations, know about it

Washington: The White House alleged that about 200 Venezuelans were members of a criminal gang, leading to their deportation to a mega-prison in El Salvador.

A senior administration official told CBS News that of the 261 deported individuals, 137 were removed under the Alien Enemies Act. The law, which dates back to 1798, grants the US president broad powers to detain and deport individuals from a nation deemed an ‘enemy.’

President Donald Trump previously used the Act and accused Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua (TDA) gang of planning violent incursions into US territory.

The move has faced criticism from human rights groups, especially after a judge granted a temporary stay on the deportation of the alleged gang members. However, the White House said the court order came after the deportations had already taken place.

The Alien Enemies Act has been invoked only three times in US history, during the War of 1812, World War I, and World War II. It was last used during World War II, when 120,000 people of Japanese descent were imprisoned without trial, and German and Italian Americans were also detained.