The Trump administration is preparing to use a comprehensive war authority to accelerate the president’s mass deportation promise, according to several sources familiar with the discussions.
In his inaugural speech, President Donald Trump stated that he planned to invoke a little known law of the eighteenth century, the 1798 foreign enemies law as part of its broad list of repressions to immigration.
The measure gives the president the authority of aiming and removing undocumented immigrants, although legal experts argued that this would face a difficult battle in court.
The measure is being widely discussed in different agencies, while government officials analyze how they could implement the law, three sources stressed to CNN although the details are still being finalized and is unclear when the government would act to invoke it.
The main target so far, according to three sources, is the Aragua Tren gang, which was also recently designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
“Labeling Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization was the first step,” explained a high White House employee to CNN .
In the last weeks of his 2024 campaign, Trump has repeatedly promised to invoke the act to deport alleged criminal groups and drug cartel members.
He often referred to the Aragua Tren and the exaggerated and contested allegations that the Venezuelan gang had “invaded” and “conquered” Aurora, Colorado – to serve as a justification to want to implement the eighteenth -century war law.
Part of the discussions in progress includes where these migrants would be sent. Although Venezuela has agreed to receive back its citizens, these repatriation flights are generally limited.
Other options include countries that have agreed to receive back migrants from third countries, such as El Salvador.
The use of the law has been repeatedly suggested among the row of immigration because it would speed up the deportation process.
Detention and deportations that occur under the Alien Enemies Act do not go through the immigration court system, which provides immigrants to seek relief and defend their case to stay in the country.
Experts have noted that the accumulated judicial system, where cases may take years, may be a significant obstacle to Trump’s mass deportation plans.
Alien Enemies Act is created to be invoked if the US is at war with another country, or if a foreign nation has invaded the United States or threatened to do so.
Legal experts say it would be difficult for Trump to use the act when US territory is not being attacked by a foreign government, even if the government cites gang threats or cartels.
This content was originally published in Trump wants to use 18th century law to accelerate deportations on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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