Trump Denies Signing Proclamation on Alien Enemies Act, While Supporting Deportation Move
President Donald Trump on Friday downplayed his involvement in invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport Venezuelan migrants, claiming for the first time that he had not signed the proclamation, despite supporting his administration’s actions.
Trump’s Denial and White House Response
“I don’t know when it was signed, because I didn’t sign it,” Trump told reporters before departing the White House on Friday evening. His remark appeared to contradict the official White House stance and the document itself, which bears his signature in the Federal Register.
White House communications director Steven Cheung attempted to clarify the situation, stating, “President Trump was obviously referring to the original Alien Enemies Act that was signed back in 1798. The recent Executive Order was personally signed by President Trump, invoking the Alien Enemies Act to designate Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, allowing the government to apprehend and deport these heinous criminals.”
Contradictory Statements and Rubio’s Role
Despite this clarification, Trump further distanced himself from the decision by claiming that “other people handled it,” specifically naming Secretary of State Marco Rubio. When asked about a potential deportation flight to El Salvador amid ongoing litigation, Trump deferred to Rubio, saying, “I would say that I’d have the Secretary of State handle it, because I’m not really involved in that. But the concept of getting bad people—murderers, rapists, drug dealers—out of our country, I ran on that. I won on that.”
Trump’s unprompted mention of Rubio, combined with his denial of signing the proclamation, appears to conflict with both the White House’s official statement and the legal documentation.
Judge Boasberg’s Legal Scrutiny
The controversy intensified in court, where Judge James Boasberg expressed concerns about whether officials in the Trump administration violated his orders blocking the use of the Alien Enemies Act for deportations. Boasberg was particularly troubled by reports that two flights carrying deported migrants were not turned around as per his directive.
“I will get to the bottom of whether they violated my order—who ordered this and what the consequences will be,” Boasberg stated at the conclusion of a heated hearing.
The judge, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, criticized the Justice Department’s handling of the case, calling its language in legal filings “intemperate and disrespectful.” He also pushed back against arguments that his verbal orders last Saturday carried less weight than the subsequent written order.
Legal Battle Over the 18th-Century Law
Friday’s hearing largely focused on the Justice Department’s efforts to lift Boasberg’s orders, allowing the administration to continue using the Alien Enemies Act to expedite deportations of migrants accused of ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The administration argued that Trump’s application of the law was beyond judicial review, making Boasberg’s intervention an overreach.
Trump Denies Signing Proclamation on Alien Enemies Act, While Supporting Deportation Move
President Donald Trump on Friday downplayed his involvement in invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport Venezuelan migrants, claiming for the first time that he had not signed the proclamation, despite supporting his administration’s actions.
Trump’s Denial and White House Response
“I don’t know when it was signed, because I didn’t sign it,” Trump told reporters before departing the White House on Friday evening. His remark appeared to contradict the official White House stance and the document itself, which bears his signature in the Federal Register.
White House communications director Steven Cheung attempted to clarify the situation, stating, “President Trump was obviously referring to the original Alien Enemies Act that was signed back in 1798. The recent Executive Order was personally signed by President Trump, invoking the Alien Enemies Act to designate Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, allowing the government to apprehend and deport these heinous criminals.”
Contradictory Statements and Rubio’s Role
Despite this clarification, Trump further distanced himself from the decision by claiming that “other people handled it,” specifically naming Secretary of State Marco Rubio. When asked about a potential deportation flight to El Salvador amid ongoing litigation, Trump deferred to Rubio, saying, “I would say that I’d have the Secretary of State handle it, because I’m not really involved in that. But the concept of getting bad people—murderers, rapists, drug dealers—out of our country, I ran on that. I won on that.”
Trump’s unprompted mention of Rubio, combined with his denial of signing the proclamation, appears to conflict with both the White House’s official statement and the legal documentation.
Judge Boasberg’s Legal Scrutiny
The controversy intensified in court, where Judge James Boasberg expressed concerns about whether officials in the Trump administration violated his orders blocking the use of the Alien Enemies Act for deportations. Boasberg was particularly troubled by reports that two flights carrying deported migrants were not turned around as per his directive.
“I will get to the bottom of whether they violated my order—who ordered this and what the consequences will be,” Boasberg stated at the conclusion of a heated hearing.
The judge, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, criticized the Justice Department’s handling of the case, calling its language in legal filings “intemperate and disrespectful.” He also pushed back against arguments that his verbal orders last Saturday carried less weight than the subsequent written order.
Legal Battle Over the 18th-Century Law
Friday’s hearing largely focused on the Justice Department’s efforts to lift Boasberg’s orders, allowing the administration to continue using the Alien Enemies Act to expedite deportations of migrants accused of ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The administration argued that Trump’s application of the law was beyond judicial review, making Boasberg’s intervention an overreach.
Confusion Over Trump’s Statements
Hours after Trump’s remarks, the White House attempted to walk back his denial, claiming that he was not referring to the recent executive order. This came after Trump was specifically asked to respond to Judge Boasberg’s criticism that the proclamation was “signed in the dark” and that migrants were rushed onto planes.
Trump reiterated, “We want to get criminals out of our country, number one, and I don’t know when it was signed, because I didn’t sign it. Other people handled it, but (Secretary of State) Marco Rubio has done a great job, and he wanted them out, and we go along with that.”
Despite his claims, the official proclamation remains signed under Trump’s name, deepening the ongoing controversy over his administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act.
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