JACL Condemns “Operation Aurora” and Calls for passage of the “Neighbors Not Enemies Act”
October 15, 2024
For Immediate Release
Seia Watanabe, VP Public Affairs, swatanabe@jacl.org
Matthew Weisbly, Education & Communications Coordinator, mweisbly@jacl.org
On October 11th, 2024, Former President and current Presidential Candidate Donald Trump told a host of people at his rally in Aurora, Colorado, that if he were to win the 2024 Presidential race he would invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to enforce country-wide mass deportations of so-called migrant criminal networks which he has dubbed “Operation Aurora”. In the days following, Former President Trump repeated these statements at rallies in Prescott Valley, Arizona, and Coachella, California. The JACL strongly condemns the words of Former President Trump and renews its call on Congress to pass the Neighbors Not Enemies Act (H.R. 3610/S.1747) introduced by Representative Ilhan Omar and Senator Mazie Hirono, which would repeal the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
As the only remaining component of the Alien and Sedition Acts, the Alien Enemies Act grants the president with the power to authorize the arrest, detention, and deportation of citizens of an “enemy nation” during wartime. While detained, foreign nationals of enemy nations would be treated as prisoners of war and could even be detained after hostilities with an enemy nation ceased. This controversial act was first used by President Roosevelt in 1941 to arrest and detain citizens of Japan, Germany, and Italy without due process. In 1942 President Roosevelt expanded the scope of his wartime powers to issue Executive Order 9066 which led to the mass incarceration of over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry. The Alien Enemies Act was also referenced by Former President Trump in 2016 when he issued Executive Order 13769 also known as the “Muslim Ban” that prohibited individuals from predominantly Muslim nations from entering the United States, under the false guise of national security.
The utilization of the Alien Enemies Act as a broad immigration enforcement tool is a gross misapplication of a centuries-old law meant specifically for use in wartime. The suggestion that migrant communities originate from enemy nations and that the United States is at war with migrants is poisonous rhetoric that only seeks to divide the American people, distance the United States from neighboring countries and dehumanize migrant families and communities seeking a better life in the United States.
JACL Executive Director, David Inoue stated “Former President Trump has peddled a false narrative of immigrants as a broad threat to our country. While there are many in this country who face challenges in an economy that has benefited a wealthy minority and any potential for violence can strike fear in any community, the source of these difficulties is not from immigrants who actually bring economic growth and vibrancy to the communities in which they reside. Spreading lies that incite escalating fear will lead to dire consequences such as the Japanese American community experienced during WWII.”
We at the JACL renew our commitment to protecting the rights of all people, regardless of their citizenship status or nation of origin. We urge the public and our partners to stand with us and call on Congress to pass the Neighbors Not Enemies Act before the Alien Enemies Act can once again be used to violate the due process and equal protection rights of people residing in the United States. Additionally, we call on the public and our leaders of good conscience to stand against increasing xenophobic rhetoric and condemn Former President Trump’s continuing attacks on immigrant communities.
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The Japanese American Citizens League is a national organization whose ongoing mission is to secure and maintain the civil rights of Japanese Americans and all others who are victimized by injustice and bigotry. The leaders and members of the JACL also work to promote cultural, educational, and social values and preserve the heritage and legacy of the Japanese American community.
