In his latest move to clamp down on illegal immigration and immigration more broadly, President Trump has filed a presidential action invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a seldom-used law that gives the president authority to detain or deport nationals of an enemy nation during wartime. It’s only the fourth time in American history a president has used the act — and the first since World War II.
Luckily it was stopped almost immediately, for now at least. We aren’t at war so this is not legal. Does the executive listen to the courts though? I think we’ll soon see.
It was slowed down.
It was not stopped.