The Alien Enemies Act of 1798: An Explainer of the Law Trump May Invoke

The act allows the government to detain or remove foreign nationals without a hearing in times of war or invasion.

The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798. Illustration by The Epoch Times, National Archives

President Donald Trump may dust off a centuries-old law to expedite the deportation of foreign national gangs and cartel members to help secure the U.S. border.

On the campaign trail, Trump pledged to “invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil.”