The law, which gives the president sweeping powers over non-citizens, was part of a set of statutes that emerged during the tenuous period following the Revolutionary War.

An appeals court sided with a judge who previously put a block on President Trump’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport suspected undocumented immigrants. ACLU Deputy Director of the Immigrants’ Rights Project Lee Gelernt explains why this was a victory for immigrants' rights and what the ACLU plans on doing next in the legal battle.