Trump recovers the 1798 foreign enemies law to combat gangs and criminal networks

Chijioke Obinna

Trump recovers the 1798 foreign enemies law to combat gangs and criminal networks

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, has promised, after swearing the position as president 47 of the United States, invoke the law of foreign enemies of 1798 to combat gangs and criminal networks.

In invoking the Law of Foreign Enemies of 1798, he said: “I will direct our government to use all the power of federal and state forces to eliminate the presence of foreign gangs and criminal networks that bring devastation to the United States.”

What is the Law of Foreign Enemies

When talking about the law of foreign enemies, we refer to a legislation promulgated in 1798 which gives the president of United States authority to stop, deport or restrict foreigners from countries considered enemies. This law is part of title 50 of the United States Code and was originally created during a period of tension with France.

The keys to the law are, in addition to the aforementioned, it is that It applies to men over 14 years and that can be invoked in situations of “invasion, declared war or predatory incursion” in US territory.

Used in war conflicts

Historically, this law has been used during war conflicts as the War of 1812, World War I and World War II. During World War II, it was used to stop and relocate Japanese, German, Austro-Hungarian and Italian immigrants residing in the United States.

Donald Trump, the president -elect, has expressed his intention to invoke this law as part of his plan of Mass deportation of undocumented immigrants.

The controversy of this law is that to be applied, A declared war or an invasion is necessary by a foreign government. In addition, its use for mass deportations is not preceded in American immigration policy.

Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations

In another order of things, the president of the United States has also said that his first measure will be to declare a “national emergency” on the southern border and that he will declare Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations.

Chijioke Obinna

I've been passionate about storytelling and journalism since my early days growing up in Lagos. With a background in political science and years of experience in investigative reporting, I aim to bring nuanced perspectives to pressing global issues. Outside of writing, I enjoy exploring Nigeria’s vibrant cultural scene and mentoring young aspiring journalists.