Appeals Court Hearing on Trump Administration's Use of Alien Enemies Act

Alien Enemies Act Hearing

• 🏛️ An appeals court hearing is currently underway in Washington D.C. regarding the Trump administration's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
• ⚖️ The Justice Department argues that a lower court judge overstepped by blocking the president's proclamation, questioning the president's authority over national security and immigration.
• ⚠️ A circuit appellate judge noted that the policy itself, the president's proclamation, is unprecedented.

Unprecedented Use of the Act

• 📜 This is the first time the Alien Enemies Act has been invoked during peacetime, not during active war.
• 🌍 It is also the first time the act has been used against nationals of a country with which the U.S. is not at war.
• ✈️ Venezuela is now accepting deportation flights from the U.S. following a repatriation agreement, with the first flight carrying nearly 200 deportees, including alleged gang members.

IRS and ICE Data Sharing Agreement

• 🔍 CBS News has confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are developing an agreement to share tax data.
• 📊 This agreement would allow ICE deportation agents to access IRS data and databases on suspected undocumented immigrants, specifically information related to ITIN numbers.
• 👤 ITIN numbers are used by undocumented immigrants and other non-citizens to file taxes when they are not eligible for Social Security numbers.
• 📈 This initiative appears to be an effort to expand the pool of individuals who can be arrested and deported as part of the administration's goal to conduct a large-scale deportation operation.