Trump’s no stranger to talking up this idea. He floated it during his campaign last year, and since taking office in January, he’s made cracking down on illegal immigration a top priority. Just last month, February 2025, the U.S. saw more immigrant arrests than any single month in the past seven years—a clear sign of the administration’s aggressive stance.
So, who’s in Trump’s crosshairs? The Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TDA) tops the list. This organized crime group has spread its operations into the U.S. and beyond, and Trump’s not holding back. He’s directed his team to slap TDA with a “foreign terrorist organization” label, setting the stage to use the Alien Enemies Act to deport anyone tied to it. CNN reports that an announcement could come as early as this Friday, once officials iron out the details.
Here’s the catch: the Alien Enemies Act was built for wartime. It’s meant to kick in when the U.S. is either at war with another country or facing an invasion—or at least a credible threat of one. Right now? That’s not happening. Legal scholars are skeptical, pointing out that stretching the law to fit this situation could be a tough sell, especially since the U.S. isn’t under attack by a foreign government. Historically, the act’s only been used three times—all during actual wars—according to the Brennan Center.
Trump’s betting big on this strategy, but it’s anyone’s guess how it’ll play out in the courts. One thing’s for sure: the debate over immigration just got a whole lot hotter.