The Alien Enemies Act requires no due process hearings

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Historically true, but the Supreme Court modified this in April 2025. The 1798 Alien Enemies Act allowed detention and deportation based solely on nationality without individualized hearings, evidence, or legal representation. It's a wartime statute that assumes all nationals of an enemy country pose a threat. Courts upheld this in Ludecke v. Watkins (1948), saying detainees under the Act aren't entitled to due process hearings. Trump invoked the Act on March 14, 2025, deporting 252 Venezuelans without any process. But on April 7, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that deportees under the Act must receive notice of their detention and an opportunity to challenge it through habeas corpus. This established minimal due process: you must know why you're detained and be able to petition courts. However, this doesn't require individualized hearings before deportation—just post-detention habeas rights. The Court allowed deportations to continue as long as "notice" was given "within a reasonable time." The ruling leaves open when "reasonable" time runs out and what "notice" must contain. The March deportees got no notice at all, violating even this minimal standard.

The Alien Enemies Act requires no due process hearings

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