NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act:
“Invoking the Alien Enemies Act, an extraordinary wartime power with a shameful history, to arbitrarily detain and deport immigrants is bigoted, dangerous, and profoundly unjust. This nation is built on the hard work and determination of generations of immigrants, who work each and every day to serve our communities. We must respect their fundamental rights and dignity. The Trump administration’s attacks on immigrants are causing fear and chaos, devastating families, and hurting local economies. My office will continue to use every tool at our disposal to fight back and protect the rights of immigrants in New York and across our country.”
Attorney General James has been fighting to protect vulnerable communities and defend the rule of law from unjust attacks by the Trump administration. Earlier this month, Attorney General James led a coalition of attorneys general to defend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans. In February, Attorney General James won a court order to uphold birthright citizenship after joining a lawsuit to stop President Trump’s unconstitutional executive order. In January, Attorney General James called for expanding TPS for Haitians and other vulnerable communities who are fleeing violence and other catastrophes abroad.
