Trump’s Alien Enemies Act: An Attack on the Rights of Venezuelans
March 17, 2025 Hour: 8:57 pm
Trump’s Alien Enemies Act targets Venezuelans, deporting asylum seekers and violating their rights. Calls grow to end deportations, lift sanctions, and investigate abuses.
Related:
Venezuelans Demand the Release of Migrants Deported to El Salvador
The administration of Donald Trump has faced severe criticism for its use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans amid a humanitarian crisis. This legislation, which dates back to wartime periods, has been viewed as a tool enabling the arbitrary expulsion of individuals seeking refuge, raising concerns about its legality and racial motivations.
This proclamation, devoid of any legal foundation and built on fabricated arguments, represents a severe violation of International Law and human rights principles. Its purpose is to subject the Venezuelan diaspora to collective punishment, denying them their right to defense and exposing them to arbitrary deportations, asset seizures, and the forced separation of families.
Since the implementation of this policy, approximately 238 Venezuelans have been deported, defying a court order that prohibited such actions. The Alien Enemies Act allows Venezuelans to be classified as “enemy nationals,” subjecting them to being labeled as “terrorists” without due process, a clear violation of their fundamental rights.
Additionally, the U.S. government has signed a $6 million agreement with El Salvador to imprison deported Venezuelans for up to a year without guaranteeing due process. This agreement involves sending migrants to a prison system notorious for abuses and over 300 reported deaths, raising serious concerns about the safety and rights of these individuals.
Current policies reflect a xenophobic agenda aimed at reinforcing Trump’s campaign rhetoric, intensifying repression against immigrants. While Venezuela has expressed willingness to receive its deported citizens, Trump has criticized the country for not accelerating their return, ignoring its sovereign right to carefully vet those being expelled.
From the imposition of economic sanctions that have created unsustainable conditions in Venezuela to the criminalization and deportation of asylum seekers, the Trump administration has systematically targeted Venezuelans. With plans to impose a travel ban under the “red tier” designation, the administration seeks to deny Venezuelans the right to asylum, separating families and hindering cultural and professional exchanges.
As a result, there are urgent calls to immediately end the deportation of Venezuelans under the Alien Enemies Act and to dismantle Trump’s illegal deportation scheme, along with canceling the agreement with El Salvador that funds the indefinite detention of Venezuelans in prisons.
Advocates also demand the reversal of the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans and the reinstatement of humanitarian protections, as well as the lifting of all U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, which have exacerbated forced migration and human suffering.
Furthermore, there is a push to end the criminalization of Venezuelan migrants and reject Trump’s proposed travel ban targeting them.
Finally, there is a call for an urgent congressional investigation into Trump’s abuse of the Alien Enemies Act, his administration’s defiance of court orders, and the outsourcing of migrant detention to an authoritarian foreign government.
Autor: MLM
Fuente: CODEPINK - ALBA TCP