President Donald Trump is expected to invoke the controversial 1798 "Alien Enemies" law to speed up deportations as soon as Friday, reports CNN.
Trump made the promise to do so in October, telling rallygoers he would do so to "target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil" and use the act to initiate a federal effort called "operation Aurora," named after the Colorado town he said had been taken over by Venezuelan gangs.
He also pledged the same during his inaugural address.
"Labeling Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization was the first step," a senior White House official told CNN.
The act allows the president to detain, relocate, or deport non-citizens from a country considered an enemy of the U.S. during wartime.
The announcement, according to CNN, will come in the form of a presidential proclamation.
The act has been invoked three times in U.S. history, according to the Brennan Center.
According to Reuters, the act has been upheld as constitutional, and the Supreme Court has said it can even be used after wartime.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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