Trump to invoke a seldom-used wartime law from 1798 to speed up deportations

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. WASHINGTON—The Trump administration is planning to invoke a sweeping wartime authority known as the Alien Enemies Act in an effort to speed up deportations, according to an official familiar with the discussions. Here’s what to know: The Alien Enemies Act was first passed in 1798 and has been seldom used since.

The administration hopes invoking the act will give it broad power to arrest and deport certain immigrants in the country illegally without a hearing in immigration court, essentially denying them due process before they are removed. The authority is meant to be used at times when the nation is at war, and this application of the act is likely to be challenged in court. President Trump is expected to invoke the law through a presidential proclamation as soon as Friday, though the timing could shift, the official said.

The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. CNN earlier reported the administration’s plans. Though Trump has signaled he planned to invoke the authority at the start of his term, it comes as the president has grown frustrated with his team at the slow pace of deportations so far.

Immigration authorities plan to use the law mainly to target members of Tren de Aragua, a violent Venezuelan gang whose members have reached the U.S. in recent years. Trump recently designated the group as a foreign terrorist organization.

It wasn’t clear whether Trump’s order would allow the authority to be used on other immigrants as well. The law has been used three times in American history, all during times of war, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, a left-leaning advocacy organization. During World Wars I and II, it was used to expel or detain