Wait, Did Trump Just Deport People Based on an 18th-Century Law?! You Gotta Be Kidding Me!

On March 23rd, 2025, the Trump administration reportedly dusted off a law from 1798 – yes, you read that right, the eighteenth century – to deport a group of alleged Venezuelan gang members. This isn't some history lesson; it's happening right now, and it's got legal experts and human rights advocates scratching their heads and probably downing a few stiff drinks.  

So, what's the deal with this ancient piece of legislation? It's called the Alien Enemies Act, and it was originally designed to deal with threats during wartime. Fast forward over two centuries, and the Trump administration is apparently using it to justify the deportation of 137 Venezuelan men who were sent to El Salvador last Saturday. The justification? They're claiming these individuals are part of the "Tren de Aragua" gang, which they're labeling a proxy of the Maduro regime in Venezuela. Now, hold on a minute. The US isn't officially at war with Venezuela, so invoking a wartime law feels like something straight out of a political thriller – a really weird one.  

The "wtf" factor doesn't stop there. Apparently, El Salvador wasn't exactly thrilled with this sudden influx of deportees. They reportedly rejected two of the individuals – one because she was a woman and their maximum-security prison couldn't accommodate her, and another because he wasn't even Venezuelan! You can't make this stuff up! This whole situation is raising serious questions about due process, human rights, and whether an 18th-century law should be the basis for modern-day deportations. Senator Rand Paul even weighed in, acknowledging the "big legal questions" surrounding the use of this act. This is the kind of news that makes you wonder what historical document they'll pull out next – maybe the Magna Carta to settle a parking dispute?  

While National Security Advisor Mike Waltz defended the move on "Face the Nation," claiming the gang is a proxy of the Maduro regime and a threat to national security, the optics of using a centuries-old law for mass deportations are, to put it mildly, wild. This latest development in the Trump administration's immigration policies is definitely earning its place in the "daily dose of wtf." Stay tuned, folks, because you just know this story is far from over.