In 1798, with the U.S. preparing for what it believed would be a war with France, Congress passed a series of laws that increased the federal government’s reach. The Alien Enemies Act was created to give the president wide powers to imprison and deport noncitizens in time of war.

President Donald Trump has invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a tool that grants the president sweeping power to imprison and deport non-citizens in time of war, to target alleged members of a Venezuelan gang.