Trump denies signing declaration triggering Alien Enemies Act
In a surprising twist on Friday, President Donald Trump distanced himself from invoking the Alien Enemies Act, controversially used to potentially deport Venezuelan migrants. During a press conference, he claimed, "I don't know when it was signed, because I didn't sign it."
The statement came in response to Judge James Boasberg's criticism in court that the proclamation was issued "in the dark of night." Trump justified the administrative move, stating, "We want to get criminals out of our country, number one, and I don't know when it was signed because I didn't sign it."
The specific Alien Enemies Act Trump is referring to is actually the Act of 1798, not the earlier Act of 1789, as initially stated. Trump's administration used this Act to target members of the gang Tren de Aragua, which it designated as a terrorist organization. This proclamation allowed for the immediate apprehension, detention, and removal of these individuals without due process, leading to heated legal disputes[1][2][4].
The proclamation doesn't seem to be officially documented in the Federal Register, but it's been widely reported on news platforms and in court documents[1][2][3]. This move raised substantial questions about the Act's compatibility with contemporary law and the administration's adherence to due process[2][3].
Interestingly, Trump took it upon himself to mention Secretary of State Marco Rubio without prompt. When questioned about sending another deportation flight to El Salvador that same night amidst the ongoing litigation, Trump stated it would depend on Rubio. "I would say that I'd have the Secretary of State handle it, because I'm not really involved in that," Trump explained, emphasizing his administration's drive to remove "murderers, rapists, drug dealers, all of the, these are really some bad people out of our country."
CNN requested comment from the White House regarding these developments. The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 is a wartime law that hasn't been invoked since World War II, making its recent use in this context particularly contentious[2][3].
Tonight, Senator Marco Rubio might play a role in deciding whether a deportation flight will be sent to El Salvador, as President Donald Trump mentioned his involvement. This decision comes amidst ongoing legal disputes surrounding the administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a controversial proclamation that hasn't been officially documented in the Federal Register but has been widely reported. The proclamation's compatibility with contemporary law and due process has raised substantial questions.
