Trump invokes 1798 Alien Enemy Act for mass deportations—what it means

Hours after Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act on Saturday, a first since World War II, a federal judge in Washington blocked the US President from enforcing deportations under 18th-century law.

The Enemies Act gives Trump the power to accelerate the deportation of illegal immigrants, including those linked with Venezuelan gang. In his Saturday proclamation, he labelled Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang as an invading force. Trump claimed that Tren de Aragua was essentially waging war against the United States.

“Over the years, Venezuelan national and local authorities have ceded ever-greater control over their territories to transnational criminal organisations, including TdA," said an official statement by Trump, as quoted by AP.