Trump invokes sweeping wartime powers against violent Venezuelan gang Tren De Aragua as he speeds up deportations
PRESIDENT Donald Trump has invoked the Alien Enemies Act against the Tren de Aragua gang as he continues efforts to speed up deportations.
The Tren de Aragua gang is an international organised crime group from Venezuela - designated as terrorists by the US.
The 1798 Act was last used to justify the internment of Japanese-American civilians during World War 2.
The Trump administration looks to speed up the deportation of migrants affiliated with the Venezuelan gang.
The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 gives gargantuan levels of authority to the Republican to target and remove undocumented immigrants.
It is designed as a law to be invoked if the US is at war with another country or a nation has invaded the US or threatened to do so.
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In a presidential proclamation released on Saturday, the White House said many of Tren de Aragua have "unlawfully infiltrated the United States and are conducting irregular warfare and undertaking hostile actions against the United States."
The proclamation called for all of those subject to the measure to be arrested, detained and removed immediately.
Trump said in the proclamation: "All Venezuelan citizens 14 years of age or older who are members of TdA, are within the United States, and are not actually naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the United States are liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as Alien Enemies."
Tren de Aragua is a transnational criminal organisation and U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization from Venezuela.
Believed to have over 5,000 members, Homeland Security officials labeled the group “high-threat,” according to US media reports.
It comes a mere few hours after it was revealed that Trump is set to introduce sweeping travel restrictions on 43 countries, including Russia and Belarus, in a dramatic immigration crackdown.
The proposed policy — yet to be finalized — divides nations into three categories, with some facing full visa suspensions and others subject to partial restrictions.
According to a memo seen by The New York Times, Russian visas will reportedly be “sharply restricted,” while Belarusian travelers could see their access to the U.S. heavily curtailed.
Nations on the list have been warned they will remain banned unless their governments “address deficiencies within 60 days.”
The draft policy names 11 countries - including Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, and North Korea - as facing the most severe restrictions, with full visa suspensions.
A second group of 10 nations would face partial suspensions affecting tourist, student, and immigration visas, with some exceptions.
A third group of 22 countries could also see visa issuance restricted if they fail to address security concerns.
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These alleged issues include weak passport security, inadequate traveler data sharing, or the sale of citizenships to individuals from already-banned nations.
A U.S. official told The New York Times that the list could still change and has yet to receive final approval from the administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
