NILC Statement on Trump’s Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act

Mar 15, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
March 15, 2025 

CONTACT  
Email: [email protected]   
Adrian Escárate, 202-609-9976  
Emily Morris, 213-457-7458  

NILC Statement on Trump’s Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act 

WASHINGTON — Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act: 

“This is both unprecedented and blatantly illegal. The use of this wartime authority has a shameful history that includes its use to round up Japanese, German, and Italian people without due process during World War II. In his desperate attempt to carry out an immoral plan to round up millions of immigrants – sweeping up citizens in the process – the president has clearly abandoned any and all pretense of following the law.  

“In the face of this latest assault on our rights, Congress must rediscover its spine, reassert its constitutional prerogative, and repeal this disgraceful authority. In the meantime, NILC stands ready to defend our communities from this extreme and lawless president.” 

### 

Related
NILC Responds to SCOTUS Decisions on TPS and Asylum

NILC Responds to SCOTUS Decisions on TPS and Asylum

Published Jun 25, 2026 Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court issued rulings clearing the way for the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti and...

The US Must Keep its Promises to LGBTQ+ Immigrants

The US Must Keep its Promises to LGBTQ+ Immigrants

Elizabeth Choo

Published Jun 22, 2026 The government’s refusal to provide humanitarian relief to transgender immigrants is just one of the ways the Trump administration is attacking the LGBTQ+ community.

What’s in Congress’s New ICE Funding Law?

What’s in Congress’s New ICE Funding Law?

Heidi Altman and Ben D’Avanzo

Published Jun 11, 2026

Tell USCIS You Don’t Want Increased Immigrant Surveillance

Tell USCIS You Don’t Want Increased Immigrant Surveillance

Sarah Krieger

Published Jun 10, 2026 Updating an address should not require people to share unrelated personal and financial information with the federal government. Public comment is open until July 6 to oppose the change to Form...