Wait, what’s going on here? Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has decided to invoke a 227-year-old wartime law to help carry out mass detainments and deportations. Because, you know, that’s exactly what we need – more archaic laws being used to justify questionable actions. I mean, who needs due process and equal protection when we’ve got the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to fall back on?
And let’s be real, this law has a stellar track record. It’s been used to justify human rights crises in the past, and it’s never been formally repealed by Congress. But hey, who needs to learn from history when we can just keep repeating the same mistakes? The law gives the President sweeping powers to target foreign citizens, and Trump has announced that he’ll be using it to go after members of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua. Because, you know, Venezuelan prison gangs are the biggest threat to American society.
But, I mean, seriously, what’s the logic behind this? The law is intended to be used only in wartime, and apply only when official governments have threatened military action. So, how exactly does Trump plan to justify using it to target Venezuelan citizens? Oh wait, I forgot – he’s already described several nations whose residents have sought refuge in the States as “invading” the U.S. So, I guess that’s all the justification he needs.
And have you seen the language used in this law? It’s like something out of a bad sci-fi movie. “All natives, citizens, denizens, or subjects of the hostile nation or government, being of the age of fourteen years and upward… shall be liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as alien enemies.” I mean, what even is that? It sounds like something a sci-fi villain would say.
But, of course, this is all just a part of Trump’s larger anti-immigration agenda. He’s been spouting this rhetoric for years, and it’s only gotten worse. At a campaign rally in October, he said, “We have to live with these animals. But we won’t live with them for long.” And then, a supporter in the crowd shouted, “Kill them!” Yeah, that’s not disturbing at all.
And let’s not forget about Stephen Miller, Trump’s immigration adviser and White nationalist extraordinaire. He’s been pushing this “America First” agenda for years, and it’s only getting more and more extreme. I mean, who needs diversity and inclusivity when we can just have an America that’s only for “real Americans”?
But, I guess that’s the point of all this. Trump and his team are trying to create a narrative that immigrants are the enemy, that they’re somehow less than American. And it’s working. People are eating it up, and it’s only getting worse. So, what’s the solution? I don’t know, but I do know that we need to stop invoking archaic laws and start having real conversations about immigration and national security. And we need to stop perpetuating this anti-immigration rhetoric that’s only serving to divide us.
And, on a completely unrelated note, has anyone seen that new Star Wars movie? I heard it’s pretty good. But, I mean, what’s the point of talking about movies when we’ve got real-life villains like Trump and Miller running around?
Anyway, back to the topic at hand. The Brennan Center for Justice has been warning about the dangers of the Alien Enemies Act for years, and it’s time we start listening. This law is a relic of the past, and it’s time we start moving forward. We need to stop using it as a justification for mass deportations and start having real conversations about immigration and national security.
And, finally, can we please just stop using the phrase “border czar”? It’s just so… try-hard. I mean, come on, Tom Homan is just a guy with a bad haircut and a worse attitude. He’s not a czar, he’s just a bureaucrat with a bad sense of style.
But, I guess that’s the point of all this. Trump and his team are trying to create a narrative that they’re somehow above the law, that they can just invoke archaic laws and start deporting people willy-nilly. And it’s working. People are eating it up, and it’s only getting worse. So, what’s the solution? I don’t know, but I do know that we need to stop perpetuating this anti-immigration narrative and start having real conversations about the issues. And we need to stop using laws like the Alien Enemies Act as a justification for mass deportations. It’s time we start moving forward, not backward.