Trump Employs Wartime Law to Expedite Deportation of Venezuelan Gang Members

President Donald Trump has invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expedite the deportation of alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, citing threats to the United States. Critics have expressed concern over potential civil rights violations, and legal challenges are anticipated.

President Donald Trump invoked a rarely used wartime law on Saturday to fast-track the deportation of alleged members of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. Claiming the gang poses an 'invasion' threat through crimes like kidnapping and extortion, Trump wields the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 in his efforts to curb what he calls 'irregular warfare' on U.S. soil.

The act, traditionally reserved for times of war, allows the circumvention of due process for migrants labeled as threats, potentially permitting rapid deportations. Civil rights organizations, along with some Democrats, oppose the revival of the act, warning it may lead to mass deportations reminiscent of internment camps for Japanese, German, and Italian Americans during World War Two.

The Trump administration had previously designated Tren de Aragua and other criminal organizations as global terrorist entities. While Trump's decisive move garners legal scrutiny, particularly following a court's temporary block on recent deportations, the White House remains firm, intending to fight the restraining order and enhance immigration enforcement further.

(With inputs from agencies.)