Trump expected to invoke wartime authority to speed up mass deportation effort in coming days

Source: CNN

Trump expected to invoke wartime authority to speed up mass deportation effort in coming days

By Priscilla Alvarez, Jennifer Hansler and Alayna Treene, CNN
2 minute read
Updated 12:54 PM EDT, Thu March 13, 2025

(CNN) — The Trump administration is expected to invoke a sweeping wartime authority to speed up the president’s mass deportation pledge in the coming days, according to four sources familiar with the discussions.

The little-known 18th-century law, the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, gives the president tremendous authority to target and remove undocumented immigrants, though legal experts have argued it would face an uphill battle in court.

CNN previously reported that the authority was being widely discussed at several agencies as administration officials prepared to implement the law. The primary target remains Tren de Aragua (TDA), a Venezuelan organized crime group that is now operating in the United States and other countries.

Trump had ordered his administration to designate TDA as a foreign terrorist organization and use the measure to remove those identified.

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Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/13/politics/alien-enemies-act-deportation-consideration/index.html