Sponsors (11)
The bill improves civil liberties by removing an outdated wartime detention statute and limiting executive detention power, but it reduces a statutory national-security tool and creates short-term legal uncertainty and potential costs while Congress considers replacements.
Immigrants and the general public: removes an archaic 'alien enemies' statute that authorized mass wartime detention and removal, reducing the risk of arbitrary internment and reining in unchecked executive wartime detention powers.
Law-enforcement and national security actors: eliminates a statutory tool for apprehending/removing 'enemy aliens' during declared war, which could limit government options in extreme crises.
Local governments and law enforcement: creates short-term legal uncertainty about permissible wartime detention authorities until Congress clarifies or replaces the statute, complicating agency planning and operations.
Taxpayers: could lead to additional legislative and implementation costs if Congress enacts narrower replacement authorities to address gaps left by the repeal.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Repeals the federal "alien enemies" statutes, removing the statutory authority to apprehend, restrain, or remove noncitizens under that framework.
Repeals the federal statutory authority known as the "Alien Enemies" provisions, removing the legal basis that allowed the government to apprehend, restrain, remove, or regulate noncitizens designated as "alien enemies" via presidential proclamation. The law removes the specific provisions in federal statute that previously authorized those wartime/camp-style powers. The change does not itself create a replacement authority, funding, or operational guidance; it eliminates those specific statutory tools and may require executive agencies and Congress to rely on other laws, constitutional authorities, or new legislation to address similar circumstances in the future.
Introduced January 22, 2025 by Mazie Hirono · Last progress January 22, 2025