Trump wants to invoke 18th-century martial law to speed up mass deportations

US President Donald Trump is planning to invoke the Alien Enemies Act, a law passed in 1798, to speed up the deportation of illegal immigrants.

The Trump administration could use the law to deport immigrants deemed gang members without a trial, bypassing immigration courts and significantly speeding up deportation proceedings.

Trump is also considering using military resources to combat illegal immigration. For example, the Texas National Guard has been given the authority to arrest people who enter the United States illegally at the border.

The move has been sharply criticized by human rights advocates, with organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) arguing that it would be illegal to use the law for immigration policy.

The Trump administration is also planning new measures to designate criminal gangs as terrorist organizations and deport their members. Thousands of Venezuelan immigrants who came to the United States during the Biden administration could also be deported as part of these measures.