The Alien Enemies Act

What is the Alien Enemies Act & How was it Used?

The 1798 laws known collectively as the “Alien and Sedition Acts” were a set of four bills targeting immigrants under the guise of war. While three of the acts have since expired or been repealed, the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) remains in effect to this day.

Over 80 years after it was used to detain 17,000 Japanese nationals and Japanese Americans during World War II, without evidence of wrongdoing, the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 has resurfaced. On March 15, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order to invoke the law to deport Venezuelan nationals to a prison in El Salvador—without notice or due process available under the immigration laws. The AEA allows the government to detain and remove non-citizens from “hostile nations without evidence of a threat to national security.” Until repealed, it remains a sweeping tool to target communities under the guise of national security.

Support JACL's Initiatives to Challenge and Repeal the AEA!

Experiences of Japanese Americans under the AEA

Alien Enemies Act News

  • JACL and 60+ Asian American Organizations File Amicus Brief Supporting the Fight Against the Alien Enemies Act

    JACL is proud to stand with 63 other Asian American organizations in filing an amicus brief in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to combat President Trump's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act. It is now more important than ever that we share the harms and injustices that were committed against the Japanese American community under the Alien Enemies Act. 

    Read the Full Press Release

  • Over 60 Organizations File Amicus Urging Courts to Heed Lessons of Japanese American Incarceration

    SAN FRANCISCO – In March, President Trump issued an executive order invoking the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime law, against any Venezuelan national as young as 14 who the administration claims is a member of the Tren de Aragua gang. In the months since, every judge except one in cases challenging the executive order has found the Trump administration's use of the Act to deport individuals without due process to be illegal. When the United States last used the Act in World War II, it began an escalation that culminated in the highest court choosing to blindly defer to unsubstantiated claims from the executive branch. Everyday people paid the price, losing their families, jobs, homes, and fundamental freedoms.

    Read the Full Press Release

  • Full Amicus Brief Submitted June 2, 2025

    The Japanese American Citizens League and over 60 other Asian American Pacific Islander (“AAPI”) organizations are committed to preserving Japanese American history, serving AAPI communities, and advancing civil rights. Many were involved in redress efforts for World War II (“WWII”) incarcerations, the coram nobis lawsuits, and ongoing advocacy for Japanese Latin Americans.

    Full Text Here

The Neighbors Not Enemies Act

The Neighbors Not Enemies Act would repeal the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 in its entirety. The 1798 laws known collectively as the “Alien and Sedition Acts” were a set of four bills targeting immigrants under the guise of war. While three of the acts have since expired or been repealed, the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) remains in effect to this day. The AEA should be repealed because it is an archaic law that has been used to single out racial and religious minorities and deny them due process and the human right to be treated fairly.

Learn More About the NNEA Here