Alien Enemies Act of 1798 (U.S.)

Alien Enemies Act of 1798 (U.S.). An obscure piece of legislation, enacted during the early years of the United States, grants the president broad authority to detain and remove non-citizens deemed a threat during times of war or national emergency.

While rarely invoked in modern times, its potential revival has sparked debate among legal scholars, policymakers, and immigrant rights advocates.

The Alien Enemies Act was originally signed into law by President John Adams as part of a series of measures known as the Alien and Sedition Acts, aimed at addressing perceived threats from foreign nationals amid tensions with France.

The law allows the president to apprehend, restrain, and deport any non-citizen from a country with which the U.S. is at war, without requiring congressional approval.

Its most notable use came during World War II, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt invoked it to authorize the internment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans, a decision widely regarded today as a grave violation of civil liberties.