Trump is promising deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. What is it?

Rachel Treisman for NPR reports on how former President Donald Trump is vowing to use an obscure law to expedite the removal of undocumented migrants from the United States.

“I will invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil,” he said at a recent rally in California, one of several in which he has brought it up. 

For Steve Vladeck’s review of the Alien Enemies Act and mass removals, click here.

Treisman goes on to say that” Trump is promising that, if reelected, he will use the act to initiate a federal effort called `Operation Aurora‘ — named after the Colorado town that he claims has been taken over by Venezuelan gangs, which residents and local officials dispute — to target undocumented migrant gang members for arrest and deportation.”

KJ