A viral Threads poll screaming, “Do you support Trump using the Alien Enemies Act to speed up deporting criminal illegals?” has set social media ablaze, with President Trump’s bold move to invoke a 1798 wartime law igniting a firestorm of debate. The White House claims 250,000 “criminal aliens” are terrorizing communities, and Trump’s promising to ship them out faster than you can say “border wall.” But here’s the kicker: critics say many deportees aren’t even criminals, and some were sent to a notorious El Salvador mega-prison without a shred of due process. Is this a masterstroke to secure America or a reckless power grab? Click to dive into the chaos tearing Threads apart!
Trump’s March 2025 proclamation, invoking the Alien Enemies Act, targeted Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, labeled a “foreign terrorist organization” with ties to Nicolás Maduro’s regime. The administration deported 261 alleged gang members to El Salvador’s CECOT prison, notorious for cramming 70 inmates per cell, per the ACLU. Vice President JD Vance cheered, posting on X, “Democrats fought to keep violent criminals here. Trump deported them!” Supporters like @CubanOnlyTrump on X claim 68% of Americans back this, citing 2024 CBP data showing 2.5 million border apprehensions. Trump’s team argues the act, used during World War II to intern Japanese Americans, is a legal sledgehammer to crush criminal networks, saving billions in public safety costs.
But the backlash is fierce. The ACLU and Democracy Forward sued hours before the March 15 deportations, arguing the act’s use in peacetime is illegal. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a temporary block, demanding planes turn back, but two ICE jets carrying 137 Venezuelans landed in El Salvador anyway. The Supreme Court’s April 2025 ruling allowed deportations but mandated due process, a partial win for migrants. Critics like @JoaquinCastrotx on X call it a “dark era of bigotry,” warning of mass detentions without evidence. An ICE official admitted in court many deportees had no U.S. criminal records, relying instead on vague “gang tattoos” or INTERPOL notices for crimes like kidnapping abroad.
Proponents see it as a no-brainer. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele for jailing deportees, claiming it saves U.S. taxpayers millions. @AmericaFirstLegal on X hailed Trump’s “decisive action” against Tren de Aragua, linked to murders and drug trafficking. A 2025 DHS report estimates illegal immigration costs $150 billion annually, and supporters argue deporting criminals—like a Tren de Aragua member convicted of extortion in Chicago—stops the bleeding. Trump’s Truth Social post raged, “The Supreme Court won’t let us get criminals out!” after a May 2025 ruling paused Texas deportations, but fans like @GrahamAllen_1 insist it’s “what we voted for.”
Opponents paint a dystopian picture. The Brennan Center’s Katherine Yon Ebright called the act’s use “illegal,” arguing it targets Venezuelans based on ancestry, not evidence. @zeteo_news on X warned it “allows deportation without due process,” evoking WWII internment camps. The ACLU’s lawsuit revealed some deportees were asylum seekers fleeing Maduro’s persecution, not gang members. A 2025 PBS report highlighted a 10-year-old U.S. citizen deported with her undocumented parents, sparking outrage. Threads users like @Humanity1st share videos of crying children, while @BorderTruth counters with images of gang tattoos, claiming “these aren’t families, they’re threats.”
The legal fight is a mess. Federal judges in Texas, New York, and Colorado have blocked the act’s use, citing due process violations. The Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling on April 7, 2025, allowed deportations but required habeas corpus petitions, frustrating Trump’s team. Attorney General Pam Bondi called an activist judge’s block “unlawful,” insisting the act gives Trump “unfettered power” to deport enemies. Yet, Georgetown’s Steve Vladeck told NPR the act’s peacetime use is a “legal stretch,” and resources—not authority—are the real bottleneck, with ICE needing 50,000 agents to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants.
Misinformation fuels the flames. X posts claim Trump’s targeting legal immigrants or plans to bomb Mexican cartels, both unconfirmed. A Threads user, @Justice4All2025, argued deportations cost $315 billion and tank GDP by 4.2%, per the American Immigration Council. Meanwhile, @Pro__Trading on X called it a “national emergency,” urging expansion to cartels and Hamas. The act’s history—used to intern 31,000 Japanese, German, and Italian nationals in WWII—haunts critics, who fear a repeat of “shameful” abuses.
Trump’s not backing down. His January 2025 executive order labeled border crossings an “invasion,” setting the stage for “Operation Aurora,” targeting gangs like MS-13 next. But with Venezuela refusing deportees and El Salvador’s prisons under scrutiny, logistics are a nightmare. Threads is a warzone, with memes of “deportation buses” clashing against cries of “human rights disaster.” Is Trump saving America from criminal hordes, or weaponizing an outdated law to demonize migrants? Jump into the Threads debate and decide for yourself—this fight’s just begun!
